Kidnapper Bell - The Great Outdoors [EP]

Stressed Sumo Records

July 1, 2009, 06:06 PM

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Birmingham's Kidnapper Bell do one thing very very well indeed. This is literate, lively and rhythmically engaging pop-rock with it's toes dipped firmly in the western shores of the Atlantic ocean. The stop-start dynamics, propulsive vocals and sheet metal guitars of opening track "The Great Outdoors" bring to mind both the low-fi creativity of early Modest Mouse and the chiming clarity of Bloc Party and it's an engaging cocktail from the offset.

As the record progresses more of a jerky, angular aesthetic becomes prominent with 'An Evening' veering between gentle, melodic verses and a jerky, distorted chorus with endearing dual vocals. The boy/girl vocal harmonies would in lesser hands come across as a twee gimmick but both Keith and Jenny's voices here really compliment each other well, almost like Frank Black and Kim Deal had they been raised in the shadow of the bullring. This song in particular really reminds me of the way Biffy Clyro used to sound before the mainstream came calling, it's pop music at heart but it's just unhinged enough to warrant deeper analysis.

'The Way It Goes' is next and is easily my favourite track on the record with it's instantly memorable melodies, quirky indie beat-boxing (you heard right) backing and semi-anthemic chorus. It all sounds so ambitious, moving and over the top but yet manages to retain it's own warm subtlety, it's a song which I imagine would really shine when played live.

The next 2 tracks ('Collapsable Friend' and 'What Arthur Said') are both great but don't really live up to the opening trio as they tend to repeat the same tricks. Sleepwalking however really stirs things up with a more post-rock/shoegaze leaning that really brings to mind the much underrated 'Youthmovies' at their most beatific. 'Targets' ends proceedings by throwing everything that's happened over the last 20 minutes at the wall... and most of it sticks. It's a perfect way to end the record and would leave even the most jaded of cynics craving for more.

Overall 'The Great Outdoors' is an impressive record indeed, it lapses into repetition over time and lacks any obvious stand out singles but the spark never lets up and there's always at least one shining beacon of light in every track.

When the band start putting together their debut long-player they might want to start thinking about expanding on their sound palette to avoid an album of sound-a likes and the electronic element of the bands sound really needs to be explored further. For now though this is more than enough to whet the appetite for the album which is no doubt on the horizon.

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