ive never met martin kennedy
ive never seen him
or spoken to him on the phone
hell
i aint even ever emailed him
i wouldnt know him from adam
however he and i have created this very nice little record together
oh its a lovely record
unlike my painkiller record it is not self indulgent jamming juggernaut
it is not space rock
it is not harsh or wild or heavy or anything
its kinda easy on the ears actually
its not difficult to understand
theres 13 songs altogether
mk is mixing it with someone in melby
jlk provides b vox, choirs and spiritual guidance on all things vox
miranda jk does some singing on one track
mk always providing simple subtle songscapes
faraway voices when youre not expecting em
little sounds halfway between a voice and a trumpet
little trumpetlike things commenting in some alien language
like on
*my will be yours*
a jazzy late night bleary eyed creature
electric piano
haunting stringvoiced voices
sk comes in
worldweary and tired
my will be yours
you will be mine
i will lose all that i will find
the music rolls away from his words in sad waves of memory
the trumpet voiced sprite joins in
half mocking half sympathetic
you can almost hear a familiar word in there
it segues into
*stretch into the stars*
which is a slow burning piece
gradually gaining a theatrical momentum
sks sings
the night you sold me
i was frozen like the stars
you might have told me
that our love would last
jlks voices curl and whisper like malevolent spirits
the song becomes a swaying tower of voices
then
sk whistles his lonely theme
in some dark autumnal euro cityscape
mks guitar playing throughout
is meticulous elegance in simplicity
it drones and chimes and tinkles and soars
a master of subtle arts mk has learned all his lessons well
never overplaying his hand
his music is glowing in mysterious openess
pop music which is anything but.
a master song architect
these pieces drip effortlessly from him
never sounding forced
never sounding tired
his music is familiar but completely his own
he has his own mojo going
its not a rockstar ego me me me brassy blast
its a craftsman
only his craft is honing the most subtle backing tracks
for someone like me to sing upon
like *another place*
another place another score
im a stranger at your door
go the words
piano and violins
a squirmy little synth
the choruses becoming lush
at the end a kinda key change
and a new affirmation
but it ends on a bluesy feel
*uh i dunno*
actually rocks pretty hard, baby
overshot my sarky (sake?)
awkward old malarkey
sings your humble hero
and lo the bass doth throb
what you wanna do asks the falsetto chorus
uh i dunno replies bewildered sk
*thought of leaving*
another smoulderer
if you were really like you said
i’d put an arrow to your head
and i’d pull the string
everytime i sing
the songs have something of a showtune feel
compounded by trumpets which often appear
playing jazzy solos and pissing off again
*all is one*
has semi religious bent
and lover warning his beloved
that he is her only hope of salvation
and hinting at his own buddha like aspirations
while mk provides an almost western ambience
feedback loops tamed sweeten the electronic haze
those half voice half trumpet things return blowing/singing
a mournful melody
2s an illusion now
i sing
spirit come and fill me now
spirit come and take me now
as the music changes gear into a coda
its lovely stuff indeedy if i may say so
*love increased*
is another wide screen biblical number
ghostly voicestrings like heat rising off sand
the wedding feast
the love increased
the wedding bed
the fire fed
i intone in a patti smith-ish poem at the end
a girls voice singing a lovely melody
the trumpet appears in echo
kahil gibran stuff i guess
a time of joy
pure unalloyed
a time of peace
the love increased
oh
i almost believe it myself
it goes down very easily
i can tell you
*the other place*
(as opposed to another place)
has mks characteristic morse code blips in rhythm
simple subtle melodic gorgeous
his soundscapes are a pleasure to wander in
they inspire words like rain inspires flowers
*friends are gone*
the saddest song
a piano a melody
electronic phase shifting haze scrapes by
sks voice desolate weary
theres always someone hiding behind you
and i dont understand
the lie of the land
all the music exactly where it should be
accoustic guitars strum away
its all immaculate
wonderfully conceived
brilliantly executed
mk has provided moody wonderful music
i tried to match it with some singing
i think this is lovely record for lovers
for enjoying lonely bittersweet fruits of love
it is guaranteed to be an appropo soundtrack
night music
but day music too
music with lots of places to get lost in
thats some of the songs
anyway