Keith - ‘Red Thread’ (Lucky Number) Released 29/05/06

Manchester based four piece Keith have always flattered to deceive in the eyes of Gigwise, promising much with their groove laden opuses of melancholia but not quite hitting the heights we would have hoped. Take for instance last single and album opener ‘Back There’ which at moments strains the shackles of disappointment to a point where it almost captures our imagination only to leave us feeling empty as it drifts into inconsequence. This a theme that Keith are constantly tackling on ‘Red Thread’, remaining true to their own obviously gifted musical instincts while trying to continually engage the listener, and it provides for mystifyingly hit and miss affair.

Throughout the eleven tracks Keith constantly draw in numerous influences from disparate paths with obvious references to the early brooding ethereality of Doves and the indier-than-thou sensibilities of The Smiths but also bringing in moments of trippy dance beats and acid jazz movements. Things are taken pretty slow throughout with tracks building through the gears rather than hitting us with instant gratification but this is where we start to see the cracks in Keith’s master plan. One paced ‘Red Thread’ definitely is and despite the fact that there is some great song craft here by two thirds of the way through it all feels a little mundane and without the spark to push us onto the last third which is a great shame because it is home to some of the best tracks on the album.

‘Mona Lisa’s Child’ is instantly the album highlight and the point at which the blueprint of starting off slowly and cranking it up bit by bit truly comes off. Built around Oli Bayston’s metronomic vocal and the best skipping riff of the record it rolls on for five minutes before descending into an piano led dance dust up. Elsewhere the percussion experimentations of instrumental track ‘The Miller’ and the plush guitar layers of shoe-gazer  ‘Down Below’ impress with their eclecticism as does probably the most urgent track here ‘You’ with its otherworldly synth bleeps and insistent drum beats.

There is something about ‘Red Thread’ though that will always see you drifting away, it never really g.phps your full attention despite obvious promise. Gigwise is in no doubt, having witnessed shows of increasing intensity over the last year, that at this moment in time Keith have much more to offer live than they do on record. Hopefully at some point in the future they will capture the missing something that is seemingly lost in the transfer from gig to studio. When they do they will undoubtedly make an album befitting their ambitious ideas.