Review of Red Thread Album by Keith

Keith
Red Thread
Lucky Numbers

Keith Red Thread Album

Album Review

Those familiar with the local music scene in Manchester will no doubt have heard of Keith already, where the band have been regulars for some time now. The quartet met while studying at one of the universities in of the city, and released their debut EP in May 2005.

Essentially a free-flowing indie track, "Back There" is an upbeat song laced with a touch of 'dub' in its chorus, and has enough quality to edge into your memory. What it lacks in excitement it makes up for in charm, something that can also be attributed to "Killing Me". A step in the direction of folk, it features an uplifting yet relaxing melody. Drums dominate the lacklustre "Hold That Gun", before the band find some groove for "Mona Lisa's Child". Once it gets going, the rhythm has you unwillingly tapping your feet to the hypnotic beat, but like many songs here it seems impossible to get genuinely passionate about what you're hearing.

The sweet piano and sweeping vocals of "Unsold Thoughts" are equally pleasing as the stomp of the psychedelic "Faces", but this is where Keith hit a wall. They're regularly pleasant, but fail to ever take it up a notch to become thrilling, which is what "Leave It Now, For Now" should have been. It features a previously unfound energy and urgency, is interestingly supplemented with electronic touches, but just doesn't hit the spot. Until they find the missing ingredient from their music, Keith will continue to be a regular local act, rather than join the great bands that have emerged from Manchester

Alex Lai

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