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Track Listings
| 1. No Direction Home |
| 2. Gods and Monsters |
| 3. Over My Shoulder |
| 4. An Ordinary Girl |
| 5. The Stars look Familiar |
| 6. Strange Without You |
| 7. Astray |
| 8. Hong Kong Lullaby |
| 9. Sand and Glue |
| 10. Avenue of Hope |
| 11. Dead Men’s Cigarettes |
| 12. Coincidence |
| 13. I Believe |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
It seems the kind of fan I Am Kloot attracts is the same kind of devotional follower as Belle & Sebastian's--the kind that would have played the previous two albums to death, and will see no fault in the release of Gods & Monsters. And building on the previous two records- which, in retrospect, have their own charming, but undeniable faults- third time's a charm for John Bramwell and co.
Initial single "Over My Shoulder" is the most commercial thing here, but the rest of the album is equally excellent, rocking (opener "No Direction Home"), cynical (the bitter title track,) and mysterious ("An Ordinary Girl", reminiscent of Freaks-era Pulp) in equal measures. However, it's the second half of the album, with the divine "Avenue of Hope" that pushes the album into the five-star category.
Between the bittersweet delivery by Bramwell, and the suitably sparse production, this album exudes a charm that's rarely heard today--lyrics far more interesting than anything Chris Martin or Kelly Jones write, and melodies strong enough to stand alone without any window-dressing. It's a testament to the power of the band that this album is as affecting- and essential- as Leonard Cohen or Tindersticks. --Thom Allott
Review
Fans of I Am Kloot may be pleased to hear that John Bramwell and co have taken the 'If it ain't broke don't fix it' approach to their third album. Expect no real musical departures, the same consistently good stories from grimy towns, the retelling of grudges and rants and some occasional heartfelt gestures.
The trio arrangement has been very quietly infiltrated, with additional discreet keyboards, for example in opening track "No Direction Home". The album as a whole has a more spacious feel to it, with more use of shimmering moments for their own beautiful sake. The piano takes on a more central role, leading to the first instrumental they've done -"Hong Kong Lullaby" -which is a simple ethereal play on a Chinese scale.
One of the highlights of the album is the upbeat "Dead Men's Cigarettes", which are smoked whilst choking on 'bitter black regrets'. Insults come thick and fast on "Over My Shoulder"- 'I didn't care who knew me then, and someone stupid asked if we were friends'.
"Avenue Of Hope" manages to mixpersonal jibes with northern, urban evocations; 'You're like the clouds in my hometown, you just grow fat and hang around'. There's also the incongruous but now familiarly Kloot Spanish feel to the strummed guitar and piano solo, giving a sunny feel which is quickly dashed by a mournful, muted trumpet solo.
The driving drums of "Ordinary Girl" summon a feeling of dread for whatever happened to the girl who thought she was less vulnerable than she was... Similarly, "Sand And Glue" hurls anger against the wall, with a relentless driving verse. But there are moments of kindness in "The Stars Look Familiar" and "Astray" where the solo introspective ballad by John alone on guitar is very reminiscent of Natural History's "Fear of Falling".
The final track is the heart swelling "I Believe" - 'in the Hallelujah chorus of the shopping malls' which proves all is well inI Am Kloot land. The bell rings out as the album closes, demonstrating, as ever, there's hope in the arguments, 'the radiation', and the love. --Lucy Davies
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
It's a shame that this will only be heard by existing fans. People who, as the Amazon review correctly identified, played the previous two albums to death. However, fans will find wrong within this, especially on the first listen. Tracks such as "Gods and Monsters" and "An Ordinary Girl" just do not sound like the Kloot we know and love. They tend to grate. The fact that they appear so early on in the album heightens the damage. One can't help but feel that they have lost their way.
However, the first half of the album is very much a dark cloud with silver linings aplenty. The opener "No Direction Home" is suitably moody and atmospheric, bringing to mind Radiohead's seminal "There There". It acted as the opener on their recent tour, and works well in this context. Also, the single, "Over My Shoulder" is classic Kloot (Given that it appeared as a very early b-side) which never fails to bring a smile to the face, even if it is about bitter relationships. "Stars Look Familiar" is pure joy from start to finish.
Then there's the second half, which is where the fans will really recognise the band they know and love. "Hong Kong Lullaby" is a peaceful instrumental, like "loch" from Natural History, only not laced with menace. "Sand and Glue" is an epic in the vain of "From Your Favourite Sky", "Dead Men's Cigarettes" sounds very much like "Sunlight Hits The Snow", which really is not a bad thing.
They clearly saved the best 'til last though. "I Believe" features the wistful vocals, poetic lyrics, optimistic guitaring and drum and bass rhythm that have become their trademark, and acts as a perfect end to the album. All previous fears of "the bad album" very much ameliorated.
So yes, more of the same really. But given that the tracks that try things differently tend to let the album down, is this really a bad thing? One for the fans. Not that anyone else will hear it anyway. They really are criminally ignored.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The first two albums from I am Kloot were attractive for me because of their unique melodic sound (although the two albums were definitely not alike). The third album is darker, but more like other bands. It reminded me a little of Blur, and other British Bands. Two songs stand out for me (Over my Shoulder and Avenue of Hope), but this is definitely not enough to make a good album.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Funnily enough, this was the first IAK album I bought, on the recommendation of a friend, and then worked my way backwards. While I agree with previous reviewers that the songs on the first two may be a bit more "catchy" - they are, indeed, brilliant also, this album is definitely darker but signals that the band have effortlessly avoided the "difficult third album" syndrome, and produced something poignant, catchy and experimental yet inspired at the same time. Saw them perform at Brick Lane last night with material from their new album (at the moment on sale only at gigs in limited edition) and is proof that this band is just going from strength to strength, despite having no major record contract. They are devoted to their ever increasing number of fans - and their fans are ever increasingly devoted to them.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Music by Kloot
Not my normal type of music, so bought it "secondhand, very good condition". It was, no marks or dinks and cover perfect too. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mr. Malcolm sykes
best so far
I loved all the tracks.easily their best album so far.Fav track is Ave of Hope.
Published on 6 May 2005
Gutted! Suddently, a poor third effort!
I've always clung very strongly to the first two Kloot albums, and have dragged unimpressed friends to their gigs in an attempt to covert them to this bands brilliance... Read more
Published on 3 May 2005
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