Album Review :: Kilto Take - Resolute

Kilto Take

Resolute

November 25 2013 (Medical Records)

8/10

Words: Dave Beech


Like many bands of the last 12 months, Kilto Take have an appreciation for all things 80s. However, what separates the Herefordshire three-piece apart from their nostalgic contemporaries is their refusal to bend to the current trends within the industry. Unlike their peers, their appreciation of the era stems from the likes of early-U2, and Echo and the Bunnymen to name but two, and as such they eschew the reliance on synth and 80s club beats in favour of a more traditional, guitar driven aesthetic. Indeed, their penchant for a more traditional sound provides the band with an air of maturity that far outreaches their years. However, while they're obviously indebted to the sounds of the 1980s, Kilto Take refuse to simply ape the era's indie royalty and instead find themselves drawing from a wealth of more contemporary influences, such as Muse and Interpol.

"We wanted to make an album of music that grows the more it is listened to and revisited...” declared singer and guitarist Jon Crosby, “This album is our starting block, not a definitive body of work [but] a firm basis on which we can build and evolve from”. That much, it seems, is true. Upon first listen Kilto Take's debut album 'Resolute' is quite simply, just another rock album. However, after multiple listens, it's as if the record's defences seem to fall and it slowly begins to reveal itself as so much more. Subtle nuances are paired effortlessly with grandiose anthemics whilst the whole record is underpinned by frenetic percussion driving each song forward.

The first studio-recorded taste we got of Kilto Take came in the form of debut single 'Mimic', and it's easy to see why the band chose to go with this as their lead. A mixture of weight and delicate intricacy, the track epitomises exactly what the band stand for: nostalgic roots with a contemporary twist. Lyrically the song focuses on the shallowness of hedonism and “becoming just another lost soul of dissolute culture”. It's a mature theme for a band in the early days of their career but one that worked in their favour, introducing listeners to their sound and intentions prior to the record's release. Forthcoming single 'Defection' is an early highlight. Featuring an emotive chorus that smacks of early U2 releases, without the need for added pretensions whilst the previously released ‘Atonement’ is a song destined for arena tours and festivals. Coming across as an amalgamation of the aforementioned U2 and Editors, it's clear that the band have a penchant for all things big, with a sound only matched by their ambitions.

Unsurprisingly, the record features the inevitable ballad inclusion, however, where Crosby could have quite easily gone overboard on his vocals, he keeps them relatively subdued, matching the melodious nature of the track; even when the pre-chorus mounts and one expects the stadium rock stylings to burst forth, we're treated to a rare moment of restraint and as such the song comes off as probably the most accomplished on the album. Furthermore, the way the track is lends itself brilliantly to live variations, and the dynamics will no doubt be explored and played with in such a scenario.

The best thing about Kilto Take is their ability to reveal so little with each listen, yet still have you going back for more. Sure some of the songs do blend in to each other, especially after a couple of back-to-back plays, however that shouldn't stop one from checking out the record when it drops. Fans of bands such as Interpol and Radiohead will find a lot to get excited about here and though Crosby's vocal never quite reaches the same falsetto levels of the latter's Thom Yorke, it's still some of the most impressive vocal work I've seen on a début album. They won't appeal to everyone, and their sound could, by some, be considered as fairly formulaic, and in a way they would be right. It's certainly not groundbreaking, but when an album is a solid as 'Resolute', it doesn't have to be. Ambitious, nostalgic, and polished to a gleam, it's a record that feels like a statement of intent, asserting Kilto Take's place within the industry, and hinting that there could be a whole lot more to follow.