It's going against the grain
to see a band that consists simply of bare bones; a band that is made up
of drums, bass an acoustic guitar and nothing more. Even stranger,
is seeing a band that succeeds in making those bare bones seem fully-fleshed
and bristling with charm and passion. I Am Kloot are simply sublime.
Three blokes from Bolton -
and they are blokes, too; they all fell out of the ugly tree and smacked
every branch on their way down - but believe me they are quite, quite beautiful.
From the first, gently plucked chords of "86 TV's", it's quite obvious
that we're privileged to be in a special place. it's the first time
this year that a band grab me by the balls so tightly that I'm completely
spellbound.
I Am Kloot are one of those
rare bands that perform way beyond the sum of their parts. There's
an underlying connection between the three that underpin the parts and
makes bare, fractured rhythms and melodies seem a million miles high.
The energy is in there, and the songs carry it even higher. They
remind me of the Violent Femmes courting Leonard Cohen with a big bag of
temazepam. Whoah.
Add to this the wicked, incisive
lyrics, and the fact that they take themselves with a pinch of salt, joking
their way through tuning breaks, and this is a band who are at the front
of the queue to win your hearts.
(Elliot Reuben)
(Ed's note - Three blokes from Bolton????!!!)