Let It All In

Between the popular and the great

Any musician is likely to feel frustrated in a situation when his or her best record was made ten years ago, being just a second album in the discography, and since then nothing better has been delivered. In the meantime, a situation like that is a common thing, and this is where the British band I Am Kloot found themselves after their self-titled second long player issued in 2003 earned them nice sales, flattering reviews and public recognition. What happened then? Why did these talented musicians who managed to demonstrate their potential so early fail to make it to the premier league? And the answer seems to lie in the band’s priorities. I Am Kloot refused to adjust their peculiar style to the popular rock music standards and remained in the shadow of more popular performers. Nevertheless, their work could not go unnoticed, and in 2010 their album Sky At Night received a Mercury Prize nomination. Three years later, the ensemble released another studio work whose sound, according to their words, was developed throughout a decade.

Let It All In is a music for the insiders

Let It All In begs to be called a solo effort of I Am Kloot vocalist and guitarist John Bramwell, whose voice, singing manner and lyrics are the first thing to grab your attention on this record. Indeed, it seems almost an impossible mission to imagine this album without John. His vocals merge yearning and sadness, loneliness and faith in tomorrow. The very first track, Bullets, begins with his singing as the main instrument for I Am Kloot. Only when the song draws to its conclusion does the music unfold in all its power, yet only for a moment, which produces a feel on instability, unrest, tension. The dramatic sensation grows stronger in single Hold Back The Night, making the most out of strings, a beautiful production solution. Speaking of production, it was entrusted to Elbow’s musicians, who did their best to create an atmosphere of chamber-like, unprocessed sound, which make it seem that Let It All In is a live show in a little pub. John is like another visitor sipping his beer and telling a story by story from his life in full detain.

From heartaches to peace of mind

Let everyone choose for themselves which I Am Kloot are better at making on Let It All: little tragedies and confessions like Mouth On Me, and Even The Stars, or optimistic tunes like Masquerade, and Some Better Day. However, there is one thing where most listeners will agree and that is how convincing, realistic and honest I Am Kloot sound in both cases. This is the secret of the band’s style. To make their stories so accessible and fascinating, they choose the directness and easy-goingness of folk rock, and in their music they unite the elegance of blues and energy of indie rock. Let It All In does not try to create a particular atmosphere, nor to bring back a moment from the past, nor predict the future. This is an album of events and memories, both sweet and bitter. It is but symbolic that the album closes with These Days Are Mine, made specifically for live performances, and finally, peaceful Forgive These Reminders, as if saying that after outbreaks of emotions there comes a time to have rest.