Here For The World: The Quiet Conquest Of I Am Kloot

As long as you live, there will always be bands that slip you by. Artists who, despite your best intentions to discover as much as you physically could, you never quite get around to listening to. There'll be musicians you've never heard of making breathtaking music that would blow your feet off, let alone your socks - but you'll never get to hear it. Even with the outbreak of the internet, and the possibility of becoming a Myspace sensation of a Facebook superstar, there's still no guarantee you're going to come across the good stuff in amongst the nonsense.

In amongst all those bands you've either never heard of or never quite get around to, unless you're one of the lucky ones, are I Am Kloot. They've been quietly building up a reputation as a stellar live act across the UK and Europe since their self released debut, Natural History back in 2001. Recorded on the Isle Of Mull, Scotland, and 'sunny' Rochdale, Lancashire... the album garnered press attention instantly thanks to the presence of Elbow's Guy Garvey at the mixing desk, and Kloot hit the ground running - Andy Hargreaves' laid back percussion capable of soothing you one minute, and distressing you the next; Pete Jobson's throbbing basslines adding another layer of expression behind the guitar work and raspy, tender vocals of songwriter John Bramwell - his lyrics never pulling any punches - Twist, for example contains the immortal line: "There's blood on your legs... I love you..."; then there's Storm Warning's haunting verse: "I had a call on Saturday, to say I'd thrown my friends away, I reversed the charges on them all I, I made a lot of calls..."

The press attention led to their signing to The Echo Label, and their self titled follow up album was a minor hit, despite a lack of promotion - and garnered the hit singles Life In A Day and 3 Feet Tall, and included what may forever be their signature song - Proof - a track made all the more legendary by its stunning promotional video starring fellow Salford export Christopher Eccleston. Sadly, few people saw it at the time, because the single was cancelled at the last moment... the start of many let downs from the record label that led to their departure after one more album.


That album was 2005's Gods And Monsters - and its here where yours truly came in. The track Dead Men's Cigarettes was featured on HMV's promotional compilations in store, and intrigued, I checked out the album - only to find a treasure trove of incredible songs - from the singles No Direction Home and Over My Shoulder to the bitterness of the title track, the venom within Sand And Glue, and the mesmerising qualities of I Believe and Avenue Of Hope - the latter of which later was featured in Danny Boyle's sci-fi epic Sunshine earlier this year, hopefully opening up a new audience for Kloot.

I finally got to experience a Kloot live show in November of 2006, during promotion for their album of John Peel Sessions, and was so impressed, I went back for more... in February, March and now November of this year, at which they're flogging a new album, I Am Kloot Play Moolah Rouge. Recorded as 'live' with dozens of microphones set up in every possible part of the studio, and the band playing each song in full three times then working out which was the best take... the entire record was finished within two days, but you wouldn't know it unless told - such is their pitch perfect craft, not a note goes out of place. At their sell out gig at Manchester Academy on 24th November, there was a brief moment in which drummer Andy Hargreaves forgot to join in, yet the moment was so expertly woven into the song that again, unless you could see the mistake occurring, you'd never have known any better.

But a perfectly performed album and an incredibly honed live show is nothing without the songs, and this is where I Am Kloot are never let down. Bramwell has stated that he doesn't so much write about events in his life as writes around them, and by his own admission revels in the darker aspects of his songwriting - as if he feels a joyous defiance playing such emotionally charged material with the intensity to back it up. Now bolstered by the McLeod brothers on stage - Colin McLeod on piano, organ and keyboards, and Norman McLeod playing guitar and both pedal and lap steels like you've never heard them played before... and with the occasional guest star on stage (witness the triumphant appearance of friend Guy Garvey on stage with them at Night & Day earlier this year, for example), their reputation as a live act has been built up over many years of hard work - and whilst they're still between record labels and haven't quite passed into popular culture just yet, one can't help but feel - no, hope and pray - that their moment is just around the corner. So go on... knock them off that list, and get 'em listened to before its too late.

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I AM KLOOT play 93 East Street in London on 27, 28 & 29 November. Shows in Berlin, Paris, Vienna and Amsterdamn in December. See www.iamkloot.com for details.