I Am Kloot

Gods and Monsters, the third proper album (their second release in North America) from I Am Kloot, finds this British trio from Manchester in great form. The title itself suggests a juxtaposition of extremes, which could be applied to the 13 songs heard here. Some come right out and hit you with their pop sensibility like the opener "No Direction Home,” however, others weave their way into more obtuse territory, employing vintage Wurlitzers and emoting an almost carnival feel. As singer/songwriter Johnny Bramwell himself claims, their songs inhabit a "tender yet brutal cinematic world.” Like Hefner or Super Furry Animals, I Am Kloot can easily hit you cleanly with traditional songwriting hooks, or sucker-punch you with something designed more to have fun with than to win critical or public praise. They keep the tracks short and sweet here, and the album has a more accomplished feel, without getting too serious. The music is wrapped around Bramwell’s deft ability at storytelling, and were it not for their more contemporary, hippie-free approach, lines could be drawn to folk-rock acts like the Waterboys or the Levellers. But let’s not go there. I Am Kloot make music that is uniquely their own, and hearing them put together passionate songs like those on Gods and Monsters is a treat indeed.