Thursday 6 August 2009

Review - Kelly 8 - The Union

Kelly 8 - The Union

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9 out of 10

I first saw Kelly 8 a few years ago in Leeds, I believe - possibly at one of the old Rocktober fests, or a Bombed Out all dayer. I forget when exactly, but it's not important anyway. The important thing is that they were ace, and on the strength of the show I bought their album. Sadly I have since lost said album.

That's OK though, because this new one blows it - and indeed an awful lot of albums - right out of the water. I genuinely can't think of another band that sounds quite like Kelly 8, and that's a very good thing. Angular, surgical rhythms underpin surging, by turns clinical and gentle guitar lines, but what really sets Kelly 8 apart from the crowd is Pia Högberg's incredible vocals.

It's rare for an ostensibly punk based band to have a really powerful vocalist and rarer still a vocalist that can really sing. That's exactly what Pia does - she belts out the songs with the kind of power and emotion you'd expect from someone like PJ Harvey, and you just can't help but be entranced.

Listen: www.myspace.com/kelly8

Tracklist:
1. Now to calm me
2. No sounds amplify
3. Head down
4. Lost cause
5. Your halo is gone
6. Spit it out
7. All defenses fall
8. Sinking
9. Some kind of wall
10. Quick to the city
11. Mine to bleed

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