As the title suggests, this collection of 12 songs was written, performed and produced in it’s entirety by Joe Kane. It’s a not a radical departure from his former band, The Owsley Sunshine, but still, it is a departure nonetheless. The influences vary from song to song but the constant throughout is Mr Kane’s impeccable tunesmithery.
The short opening instrumental, ‘Norman Clegg is In Outer Space’ is something of a misnomer. With the ukulele intro giving way to a smothering of telstar style organ it instead brings to mind George Formby in Joe Meek’s studio.
The album kicks off in earnest with ‘What’s Wrong With Us?’ The vaudevillian frivolity of the previous track continues with the kazoo breaks on this uplifting bounce along hat tip to Mr Innes. ‘Instant Elevation’ tells us that he “don’t love the Beatles anymore”. The next song begs to differ. ‘Greetings From The Top Of the World’, anchored by picking on an acoustic, this sweet song threatens, at times, to break into a fully fledged freak out but instead ends abruptly on two strums. Home recording hasn’t proved to be a barrier to dynamics and variation on this album. In the case of ‘Greetings’, it’s the teasing then ultimate restraint that is the strength. ‘Big Onions’ on the other hand is a two minute piece of psych pop that sounds big and sounds good.
The album that kicks off with a ukulele ends with the last song descending into a short cacophonous pysch out. The 30 minute journey in between has 12 varied songs united by one writer, musician and producer. Abiding by instructions to not pump any egos I’ll keep it short. Only Joe Kane. Bad pun. Good Album.
- Joe Kane - 7 September 2007
- Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival - 21 August 2007
- Arctic Monkeys - 17 June 2007