6th Sept
Shepherd Moon
Some people get things easy, success given to them, like the Biebers of this world. Others throw their talents out to the public wall, only to see them constantly rebuffed. But like an insect flying into a glass pane continuously, they keep trying, and finally someone opens the window. It was back in 2005 that ‘Proof‘ was originally released, half a decade ago, after being planned for release in 2003, and the fact that it still sounds as fresh now shows that it‘s not the quality of the songs, but sometimes the fact that we‘re just not listening or looking in the right places. Nine years after forming, the band have been nominated for this year‘s Mercury Music Prize. The track has a feeling of evanescence about it, disarmingly simple melodies effortlessly creating crackling electricity that should not be possible from the simple strum of a guitar. With the sardonic lyrical delivery that has become a tickbox characteristic of all Manc guitar bands from Elbow to Oasis ‘Say, d’you wanna spin another line/ Like we had a good time/ Not that I need proof‘, the emotion is always shimmering beneath the veneer of simplicity. Meandering through loose basslines and louche harmonies, ‘Proof‘ is a wonderfully distilled and diluted reflective track, and I Am Kloot deserve to strike it lucky with their third attempt.