Gods and Monsters

I Am Kloot

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 23, 2005)
• Original Release Date: April 11, 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Echo UK Through Ada
• ASIN: B000A2H82G
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #26,674 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

UK edition of the band's 3rd album on the Echo label. Their debut album, ‘Natural History’ was released in 2001 and followed by a tighter, self-titled follow-up in 2003. For their third album, the intriguingly titled ‘Gods & Monsters’, the band have adopted a fuller, more expansive stance. The band received an array of fantastic reviews throughout 2004, generating support from The Independent, NME, Guardian and Time Out, to mention just a few of the bodies will to champion Kloot’s clever lyricism and beautiful melancholic sound. 2005. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The thrill of Britpop; the precision of French chanson., October 11, 2005

By	AllOverWith "cannes2000" (L.A.) - See all my reviews

I can hardly believe this is the same band who released that clattery, unremarkable debut album. I almost didn't give this a chance but this is a perfect set of songs. The lyrics are devious, supple and permit entry into unusual psychological states and revelations, much like the recent Ladytron album but in an orchestral-folk setting. John Bramwell, Kloot's frontman, is usually smart enough not to directly tackle issues in his own life, choosing instead to unspool ambiguous stories that indirectly reference the disappointment and paranoia of betrayed love, among other subjects. And these stories are better than anything you'll read in The New Yorker. "An Ordinary Girl" feels like the classic, with its noir lyrics smartly reminding us that femme fatales don't have to sport come-hither looks and elbow-length black gloves; they can be our slightly pimply, not so slim, insecure first loves, and what makes them truly fatale is that we once trusted them. "Gods and Monsters" seems simple, but is the most ambiguous song, burrowing into the head of a petty-proud office dweller who suddenly realizes that his idea of an ordered, rational life in a godless world has been a huge lie, that there are others, his superiors, "So lazy and so useless and so good." ( A line that I take as a huge compliment, by the way. ) "Strange Without You" is a kind of fuzzed-out polka where Bramwell's voice sounds just a mite higher-pitched and unfamiliar as he sings the title. "Sand and Glue" is unfathomable but has a propulsive bridge that sneakily becomes the chorus; it seems to have something to do with someone overprivileged who abuses nature just because he can. "Coincidence" has the great copout line, "Time has gathered us here by coincidence / That's why what I say doesn't make any sense." "Dead Men's Cigarettes" is a great song to drive around and smoke to.

If there's anything I can level against this album, it's that Bramwell doesn't have the persona to sell his more confessional songs. He's a good songwriter, but not an oracle. When he goes all John Lennon with an acoustic guitar on "Astray," the melody is catchy, but it feels like he hasn't earned the right to whisper in our collective ear. I don't know why this is, any more than I know why some actors are magnetic and some are dead weight. And the actor that Bramwell resembles most is Peter Sellers. He needs a role to inhabit for us to care; he's not one of those actors who can play variations on himself.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great album, September 9, 2005

By	alexander laurence (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I Am Kloot has put out a few cool albums. They are part of the scene in Manchester. John Bramwell is a talented songwriter. Their first self-titled album released here was an amazing feat. It was full of hits. I was shocked to hear this new one. I bought the single "Over My Shoulder." It surprises me. It sounded more relaxed and subtle. Some of the epic songs of the past were replaced by some intimate stories-songs on this one. There are songs which are deceptively plain like "An Ordinary Girl' and "No Direction Home." There are some atmospheric songs. There is more meandering. There is more of a folk vibe on this one. Bramwell has become one of the new British songwriters who are something like John Lennon. This is great music, it is deep and moving, and it deserves a wider audience.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Unique addition to the trilogy, May 16, 2006

By	C. Buchanan (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews

Their 3rd album takes us in a different direction again compared to the previous 2. It seems to have taken a quirky and darker route almost, with the exception of "Over My Shoulder" the upbeat lead single from the album (also I Am Kloots highest charting single too!!!). The production on "Gods And Monsters" is semi-lo-fi and natural, using microphones placed in the corner of a ceiling to get the right sound for a guitar part among other things. "Avenue Of Hope" is one of the stand out tracks and features a beautiful trumpet solo and classic Kloot lyrics, "Coincidence" is one of the darker moments and the band used to open their live shows with this song. Amongst these tracks there are real Kloot classics such as "The Stars Look Familiar", "I Believe" and "Astray" which could be called a relation to "No Fear Of Falling" from their debut album.

3 star rating in comparison to their other 2 albums, it is not the best, but it is not terrible either and is a welcome addition to my collection... I play it regularly still a year on.