ALBUM REVIEWS
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ALBUM REVIEWS |
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Jim Kroft
THE HERMIT AND THE HEDONIST RDS 30.1.12 @www.vanguard-online.co.uk
The Hermit and the Hedonist – an exploration of Kroft’s innermost thoughts through some pretty challenging sounding times – is an album that exists in a world between the carefree Indie of the mid-nineties and the lighter side of modern British MOR bands like Elbow and Coldplay (at their more contemplative). Despite flagging up the fact that Kroft is Berlin-based at every opportunity on his press material, this really doesn’t affect his sound. The level of instrumentation and vocals is soft yet engaging, upbeat while also somewhat melancholy. Opening track “Memoirs From The Afterlife” is jaunty in the genre of The Divine Comedy and effectively engaged me despite my concerns that I was facing 45 minutes of industrial noise. Next came the soaring sound of “Modern Monk” and all was right with the world. Kroft’s influences seep through on tracks like the Pet Shop Boys inspired “The Jailor” but at time he can take a little too long to get going – such is the case with “Waiting For A Healin’”, which eventually becomes a great rock song and potentially a real moment in his live show. The unusual “Canary In The Coalmine” caught my ear as the fast-talking verse shows off Kroft’s unusual vocal sound – this is definitely the highlight of the album as it’s doing something rather different. While it would be unfair to refer to them as ‘filler’, some tracks are clearly there to hold the stronger ones together – evidence of this can be found in the forms of “Bleeding Into Bohemia” and “Daylight”. A good album with some great moments. www.jimkroft.com |
