This album can either be considered a brilliant debut solo or an album without direction. The choice, is yours.I'll take the former. You can tell he's happy, you can tell this is what he enjoys. You'd be hard pushed to find a Bloc Party fan who won't admit BP weren't heading this way when they went on hiatus - maybe this shows the immensity of force he had behind the band. Shades of A Weekend In The City can still be found on The Boxer...it's more of a zig-zag in genre.
T-e-n-d-e-r-o-n-i. He even spells it out for you, just in case you weren't sure. This is unashamedly, electronically indulgent. If you managed to catch his performance at Glastonbury this year you'll have seen that bright-white smile bouncing around the stage. Vocally he is on top form, and listening to Meet In The Middle or All The Things I Could Never Say, two more mellow tracks, he sores. Ardent fans probably won't have a problem with this album but to the occasional listener, On The Lam and Walk Tall may not sit comfortably.
Kele has come out fighting, this album is a genuine reflection of where his head is at and no compromises made. In a do or die, attempt for freedom Kele has successful climbed the mountain and can now rest and survey the wondrous scene unfold below.
~SouthernHeart
Listening to: Kele - Rise
Whilst I accept he's a very talented musician, after a couple of failed attempts of listening to The Boxer I can whole heartedly say that it isn't my cup of tea.
ReplyDeleteBloc party were venturing towards more of an electronic sound but they kept their roots and their elements the same. Bloc Party's sound has always been prominent through all their work whether it was Helicopter or Ares.
This is a completely new direction and one Kele's been brave to take. Some love it, some hate it, some admire the man but not the music. I sit firmly with the latter and hope Bloc Party end their hiatus as soon as possible.