Mancunian trio I Am Kloot are responsible for one of the finest debut albums so far this year. The gentle acoustic gems on 'Natural History' are all at once tender and sinister, warm and bitter and always gorgeously, memorably melodic.
Lifted from said opus the unhurried, darkly atmospheric 'Morning Rain' finds frontman John Bramwell in fine nasal John Lennon form, spitting snidey lines like "I've never seen so many people smoke so many cigarettes" with more venom than can possibly be good for him.
New track 'Proof' is again sparsely arranged, acoustic strummings, brushed beats and a softly stroked bassline shouldering such lines as "hey could you stand another drink, I'm better when I don't think, it seems to get me through".
Finally a live, half French half English rendition of sinister album track 'Twist' - with the unsettling line "there's blood on your legs I love you" - finds Bramwell and the boys winning well-deserved applause from a Parisian audience back in February.
Already lumped in with the nu acoustic movement, I Am Kloot have proved that they have what it takes to outlast and outgrow a conveniently labelled fad. If you haven't heard I Am Kloot yet, give your ears a treat.
