Jim Kroft - Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

  by Anthony Middleton

published: 13 / 5 / 2010

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Review

From the opening bars of 'Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea', this feels like an accomplished mish-mash; a veritable grand tour around the various inspirations and influences that have been brought to bear on Jim Kroft’s musical consciousness. The opener 'Tales of the Dark Arts' has the bounce and stridency of ELO, who in turn owed much to the Beatles. None of this is to criticise Kroft, a Scot who decamped a while ago to Berlin, a long time refuge for musicians from Nick Cave to Bowie. It is, he says, a place where artistic freedom reigns. It is Bowie that Kroft has been occasionally compared, though this is unfair to all concerned given the breadth, originality and uniqueness of Bowie’s career. Listening to this can be a bit like wine tasting, A hint of Orange Juice at the back of the palate; a bit of Lotus Eaters on the nose; a lingering finish of Aztec Camera, or is that my imagination and it just sounds like pop? Kroft is certainly unbowed by any current trends or fashions, which leaves it timeless but also bit out of time. While there is a constant nod to 80s indie-pop, there is the craft of an accomplished song writer, though he may demand too much of his own voice occasionally. 'One Sees the Sun' is a thumping powerful single, and with it’s summer friendly, sing-along chorus and change of pace, is somewhat reminiscent of the Boo Radleys. I will it leave to the reader to decide if this is good thing or not. The album is polished affair without a dud or shining diamond; the whole is certainly greater than the sum of the parts. Lyrically Kroft is dense, occasionally clumsy (“I ask where have all the good people gone”) occasionally eloquent with simply honesty. Much of the album responds to Kroft’s life, such as 'Ragdoll' about his restlessness, though lines like “I’m a strange bohemian man livin’ in a foreign land’ jar. No need to be so overt. The finale, 'Let Go', is up beat, positive and, like much of the album, beautifully adorned with strings and a rousing beat. The album is certainly listenable; musically it is catchy, lyrically forceful, well produced and yet flawed. Perhaps it feels too disparate, like a blunderbuss scattering shot far and wide and hitting nothing rather than being well aimed and nailing a specific target.

Track Listing:-

1 Tales of the Dark Arts
2 One Sees The Sun
3 Birthrights
4 Guess That's What the Gods Say
5 Falling Apart
6 The Great Doomsday Story
7 Ragdoll
8 Second Chance
9 Condition
10 Let Go