JT and the Clouds - Caledonia

  by Daniel Cressey

published: 28 / 1 / 2011

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Review

'Caledonia' may be a toe-tapping, summer-light selection of beautifully arranged pop songs, with just the right amount of orchestration thrown it, but it is Jeremy Lindsay's voice that really powers it. The music is effective, but it is Lindsay's switches from light, indie flavoured declaiming to full on soul-man hollering that makes this worth listening to. Although he is effective across this range, it is when he unleashes his rawer vocals that this album really shines. Although the album's closing track 'Nobody Wants To Be Alone, Nobody Wants To Die' is the most obviously downbeat, an air of melancholy hangs over even the more upbeat sections. Chief among these highlights – and among the release of the year to date – is 'Funeral', where the quiet introspection of the verses gives way to a glorious exhortation to "shake it like somebody died." Although much of 'Caledonia' is informed with a soul sensibility, Lindsay switches tracks with disconcerting ease. Straight after 'Funeral' he unleashes 'Low July', which sounds uncannily like a classic lost track from Rod Stewart's golden era blues-rasp rock period. Over an entire album this means it can be hard to pin down what JT and the Clouds are actually doing. 'Caledonia' never feels like a cohesive album, more like a dreamy compilation someone threw together over the course of a lazy day. It doesn't necessarily reward taking in the whole, but despite not running together smoothly it is well worth picking the best moments out. When it hits its stride, 'Caledonia' is well worth a visit .

Track Listing:-

1 Fever Dream
2 Low July
3 Playin' Dozens
4 I Have Heard Words
5 How It Runs
6 Caledonia
7 Funeral
8 The Wolf
9 Grow Your Flowers
10 Nobody Wants To Be Alone Nobody Wants To Die

Have a Listen:-