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KEEF BAKER: Redeye CD Review[Hymen] |
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Contributed by Tony Young
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Wednesday, 31 October 2007 |
 Only Keef would dare produce something so utterly dripping with emotion and technical accomplishment, and then give the tracks some of the most ridiculous titles going. Only a northern lad could call a track ‘Kirkstall Morrision’s’, and get away with it. Saying that, this opener sets the precedence for what is to come, with scattered and destroyed breaks and intricate melodies that fight each other under the affray.
‘Derbyshire Dark’ has one of the most addictive hooks that heard in any track, ever, pure and simple. It’s a monolith of a track, ticking every box that is required and more. Beautiful strings, piano and the subtle heartbeat of the rhythm section keeps it flowing. Again this trademark lead ties it all together again, and it’s a line you can’t get out of your head. It’s an immersive spectacular journey of a song.
Redeye never lets anything run away with itself. Everything is key to the album as a whole. It has purpose, and as dramatic and serious as it can be a little tongue in cheek in places. From Tool like guitar riffs, to glorious washes of synth and crashing cymbals, this album never lets go of itself, being mindful as not to stray where it shouldn’t.
‘Qaop Space’ is a fine example of this, constructed on a C64, you have to credit the sheer nerve of the lad. It pays off, and while being a little on the cheese side as what you would expect from the sound sources, Keef happens to create an emotional romp that ends up being my favourite track of the album, down to the main hook alone. Fantastic.
All in all, Redeye is one of those albums you simply have to purchase. Keef Baker is to electronic music what pie n’ mash is to the north of England. Essential.
9/10
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