Kele - The Hunter EP Review

By Morgan Roberts / November 21, 2011

rating: 3

Ever the evolutionist, Kele Okereke (the now former frontman of seminal indie darlings Bloc Party) releases his second effort, and first EP, with The Hunter. The eagerly awaited (and un-awaited) follow-up to his solo debut The Boxer finds him burrowing further into his electronic leanings, but this time mining for melancholia than club bangers. Likely to bring some fans back and alienate others further. When in 2010 Kele announced his solo career, and its dance direction, it could hardly be called unexpected. Having single-handedly directed one of the guitar driven indie bands of the €˜00s down a path of sequencers, samples and synths with singles Flux and Mercury; bringing it to fruition with third effort Intimacy. After the initial receptive bursts of excitement and outrage died down, the realization of Kele€™s dream direction for his band in Intimacy was met with a mediocre reception and lacklustre appreciation from fans and critics alike. With fans, and no doubt band mates alike, unhappy with the replacement of their angular guitar driven indie with early Chemical Brothersknock offs, and Kele€™s now keen advocating of dance culture, clubbing and Ecstasy, it was only a matter of time before he€™d look elsewhere to realize his dance ambition, and if he were to go solo how club orientated it would be. Teamed up with Spank Rock producer XXXChange, under the solo moniker Kele, June 2010 saw him release debut album The Boxer just in time for Summer, and what better time for a dance debut from modern indie hierarchy; festival season for both ends of Kele€™s spectrum. Received with generally positive reviews if not always glowing, it was a solid realisation of his ambition displaying his early 90s dance influences fed through an up to date production. In some places it fell a little flat or awkwardly (a little too keenly retro), but in enough places it got it right. With definite floor fillers in Tenderoni, On the Lam, Walk Tall and Everything You Wanted but also still retaining a lyrical and musical melancholia in places that Bloc Party fans of old could recognise. With the necessary back story out of the way we find our focus upon The Hunter, stopgap EP between the debut album and, the no doubt inevitable, sophomore long player (more and more likely with rumours/certainties abounding of Bloc Party€™s rehearsals without Kele and auditions for a new singer). We also find this release skipping out on the dance and festival heavy, instead kept back for a late autumn/early winter release, and aesthetically you can see why. For the most part musically and lyrically this is a melancholic and lovelorn album, fitted perfectly for a cold and lonely winter. Not so much a dance EP, but an electronic EP.First single and opening track What Did I Do? Sets the scene perfectly with a more mature and modern sound. Sure, it sounds like Magnetic Man, almost unashamedly knocking off the Katy B featuring single I Need Air€™s sound, but €˜influence€™ aside, it€™s delivered brilliantly. If the sounds aren€™t entirely his own, the melody and mood are, and alongside guest vocals from Lucy Taylor, they make the song. Still open to the dance floor, but a slow-burning groove of a beat (if dubstep/dubpop bandwagon jumping) instead of the club classics he tried with the last album, and it fits him better. Next up Release Me takes things a bit more openly to the club with a production that comes across sounding The Streets by way of Balearic house, displaying Kele€™s dance passion but in a more subdued and lethargic euphoria; the sound of daybreak and the ensuing comedown. The next four songs though are the EP€™s real strength lies.Devotion, the brilliant cover of Goodbye Horses (originally by Q Lazzarus and the song from that scene in Silence of the Lambs), Cable€™s Goodbye and Love As a Weapon are we find the EPs most honest songs and sounds. Showing the real development from where The Boxer left off at its most melancholic, experimentally produced (exemplified on Love As a Weapon) and passionate. These songs too being the ones that may regain those old faithful who lost their faith, demonstrating the sense of melody and atmosphere Bloc Party fans will be familiar. Showing Kele hasn€™t forgotten his routes completely. Though the less said about You Belong to Someone Else, the better. Commendable for its mish-mash of different styles and arrangements, it€™s just a bit silly really. Cringe worthily so almost, sounding like a song ripped from Lazy Town fed through Angelos from Shooting Stars rave segment.As a stop gap release between full lengths, you can€™t argue with it. The Hunter allows Kele to iron out the creases in his sound before the next album comes around, allowing him to get some of his sillier moments out of the way too. Getting the evolution of his solo sound ready to evolve fully on the next release. Whilst even some of the strongest moments are growers, their cohesive sound and song craft show a great promise for his solo career now he€™s out of a full time job. Kele's new album The Hunter was released earlier this month.