Wednesday, 23 January 2013

ALBUM REVIEW: I AM KLOOT - LET IT ALL IN

Review by Jon Birch

Listen Up Manchester rating: 8/10

Let It All In is the sixth studio album from Manchester based three-piece, I Am Kloot. Formed in 1999, the band has maintained a cult status and, with the exception of 2010’s Sky At Night (which reached no. 24 in the UK Chart and received a Mercury nomination), none of their previous work has made a mainstream breakthrough look likely.

Let’s be clear, Let It All In isn’t going to be the record that does that. It is an album of well-crafted songs, beautiful in some cases, but what this doesn’t have is that one track that grabs you and excites you. There is a 60’s pop feel throughout much of the record, listen to the retro styling’s of Jake Bugg and Miles Kane and its clear their influence is widely felt. Lyrically, there will be almost inevitable comparisons with their Manchester compatriots Elbow (front man Guy Garvey actually produces here, as he did for Sky At Night), and that does come across in the downtrodden Northern wit present in many of the tracks; opening track ‘Bullets’ asking ‘Do you think that someone could have snuck into your life, and overnight has changed the locks?’.

John Bramwells voice is smoother and clearer than Garvey’s though and there is a Beatles-esque sound to many of the songs. ‘Some Better Day’ finds Bramwell almost channelling John Lennon, singing along to a backing track including trumpets, harmonicas and tambourines.

The majority of tracks are simple but incredibly well put together compositions but they do venture into the extravagant occasionally; ‘Hold Back The Night’ builds progressively to a climax filled with strings and cymbal crashes. They even step into what could almost be described as psychadelica on penultimate track ‘These Days Are Mine’. The album finishes as it begins, on an almost tender note, with the gentle ‘Forgive Me These Reminders’ proving that it’s sometimes better to go out quietly. It’s possibly the highlight of the record.

It’s easy to initially pass this album off as dull or maybe even drab. There is no big hit on here, no song that stands out above the rest. However, repeated listens are highly rewarded and the subtleties of the lyrics become more and more apparent each time you hear them.


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