Kai Fish - Life In Monochrome

Kai Fish is/was the bassist from the Mystery Jets, a band I never had a huge amount of time for really. Heard a couple of their songs and filed them under 'adequate', you know... I've got to admit this album's pretty interesting, though. Kai for the most part plays airy downbeat indie pop with lush arrangements and immaculate production, like a less cheerful Beirut. There's members of Mystery Jets on here too, and the singer out of Elephant. Apparently the majority of the album's lyrics were written in a single train journey, and it does feel like a well-balanced album rather than just a collection of songs. This guy reminds me of Ed Harcourt a bit actually, and in some of his better moments comes across like Rufus Wainwright channeling the spirit of Ray Davies, but in places it seems a bit of a plodding and pedestrian for my tastes really. That said, if you like your indie pop really lush and autumnal and polished, you might find a lot to like here. Even cynical old me is finding certain sections to have a dreamy production-led Menomena-esque warmth to them when some stuttering, stumbling drum lines are introduced to good effect. Not a masterpiece but accomplished and certainly not without merit.