Das Kaiser - The Way That I Was Raised

Das Kaiser

The Way That I Was Raised
self-released; 2022

3.8 out of 5

By Dan Weston

Das Kaiser is a trio based out of Atlanta, Ga. The band consists of brothers; Willem Kaiser (vocals/guitar) and Ewan Kaiser (vocals/drums) as well as Raina Ferguson (bass/vocals). According to the band they formed after the brothers’ father Eric Kaiser passed away which encouraged them to play music. They recently released The Way That I Was Raised which is a seven-song album.

Their music is mostly rock based and plays into a bit of classic rock, Americana and alternative. The first song is entitled “Sea Monster” and is pretty straightforward revolving around 4/4 time, minor and major chords and memorable vocal melodies. One thing that popped out to me was the vocal harmonies on the chorus which adds some extra weight. Some of the lyrics actually revolve around a sea monster. The first line was brilliant and made me laugh. The vocalist sings “My mom is a shark / my dad is an eel / the color of the ocean is exactly how I feel.”

The first song was good but the next song “Miss Me When I Leave” is a highlight. I loved the mix of darker country and rock on this song. There’s some slight Johnny Cash vibes here and the chorus is very catchy. They make great use of vocals and I have to point some praise to Ferguson whose vocals blend really well.

“Money Watch” is a good one as well and a highlight to my ears. There’s a southern gothic vibe that mixes folk and rock. The lyrics are dark and seem to be about someone getting mugged. I thought the tone worked very well here. It’s got a groove and is dark but not dismal. 

“Whiskey Shovel” is another highlight with a darker theme. The song flirts with ’50s pop, older country and is a slower moving song that contains some great guitar work. I have to mention the vocal harmonies are again one of my favorite things they do.

“See You In The Morning” is the most rocking song. This song felt a little too lo-fi to me but still was solid. We also get some lead vocals from Ferguson and she knocks it out of the park. “Bank Account” is a fun one that’s more garage rock than country but still has a walking bass line you would associate with a bluegrass or country tune. Nice mix of genres. I’m not sure what happened to “Jesus Christ Pt.1” but “Jesus Christ Pt. 2” was cool. It’s a pretty straightforward rocker with a solid hook and kinetic energy.

​My favorites moments on this release were when they went into the darker country side of things and were able to mix it with aspects of rock. On that note I thought this whole release was solid. I think their dad would be proud of what they accomplished so far. Hopefully, this is just the beginning and I look forward to hearing more in the not too distant future.

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