You may remember Tom writing about Kelman’s self-released double A-side single, Is This How It Ends?/Postcards, back in September last year. Since then the London group have been working on their second album, to be called 'I Felt My Sad Heart Soar', and have sent us a sampler of three tracks from it. In fact, one of the featured songs is the previous single, Is This How It Ends? It’s probably the strongest of the three, with the soaring instrumentation and Wayne Gooderham’s world-weary voice combining beautifully. The lovelorn, melancholy lyrics are reminiscent of Tindersticks’ kitchen-sink dramas, or Arab Strap in their less tawdry moments.
The pace slows slightly on the second track, Commercial Road. It ticks along nicely and Gooderham’s plaintive tones are genuinely affecting, but at closer to four minutes than three it risks outstaying its welcome slightly.
Third track, Shut A Final Door, is another sad song with themes of ending and loss. The music is spare most of the way through, with a cello adding to the doleful twilight feel. It’s the kind of song that would make a good album ender, in a similar vein to Butcher Boy’s ‘Days Like These Will Be The Death Of Me’.
These songs suggest that Kelman’s forthcoming album will be worth watching out for. Providing they vary the pace and avoid turning it into a depressing plod, it has the potential to be something special.
[Myspace link]
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