A track by track review of Kele (Okereke) - The Boxer
Walk Tall
A very similar song to Ares, as it's a big opening song with jagged beats. As grimy synths ripple through your eardrums as Kele’s voice comes in and out of menacing sounds this basically sets the overall electronic tone of the album with a synth bass line at various speeds together with a kick and clap drum beat.
Out Of 10: 7/10
On The Lam
This song from the off is just garage, garage all over it, his vocals are the oddest I have heard! Doesn't really get me going. Easily the worst song on the album, purely because of the vocals, it just makes me cringe. But, it easily redeems itself by being better live, the heavy bass just before the chorus is just brilliant.
Out of 10: 6/10
Tenderoni
From the start this is a club hit. His first single has had much mixed reviews from Bloc Party fans on the forum. Sounds like a instrumental mash up of Bodyrox and Wiley, with Keles vocals over the top. Still, ever since I heard it on Zane Lowe on Radio 1 I have gone from hate, to love. Now? I just love it! Building into a throbbing climax, halting momentarily before kicking back into a massive moment of club euphoria, this will be a vital summer hit, NO WAIT IT IS.
Out of 10: 9/10
The Other Side
According to a Mr Ryan Lamont this track is about his homosexuality and the difficulties he had coming out... Don't know what to make of that but still, the guitar makes this track for me, plus the lyrics, 'It's driving me insane' has been running round my head causing havoc since I have heard it! This track ends with a conga breakdown which is a great ending to a song to remember Kele by!
Out of 10: 9/10
Everything You Wanted
This is so 'It's Not The Things You Say', which isn't bad to be brutally honest. It's a slow jam with piano keys all the way through it. The vocals are typical Bloc Party Kele, you won't feel out of place if you are new to his material. It is therefore quite fitting that it's a love song. Kele's vocal work amazed me again!
Out of 10: 7/10
New Rules On this tune you can really hear that Kele had a lot of fun going through the (no doubt massive) sample libraries of the EMI studio playing around with animal noises and answer phone messages etc. None the less this is another slow song, even slower than the one before it. The harmonious female vocals layered on top of his makes this a chilled evening song.
Out of 10: 8/10
Unholy Thoughts
Reminds me of Bloc Party so bad. Lyrics and vocal melody seem to sound at different stages, that they could slide into each of the three Bloc albums. This is one of the brilliant things Kele can do. Making tunes with a solid indie guitar riffs throughout. Potentially another single I think, especially liked the acoustic guitar break in the middle.
Out of 10: 9/10
Rise
One of the early releases (on his blog), this track has been around a while, still with a xylophone start with more female vocals that evolves into quite the electronic song! Clearing the table for the heaviest drop of the record, which floods the speakers with old skool breaks and positive lyrics "you are stronger than you think, you are strong".
Out of 10: 9/10
All The Things I Could Never Say
Another slow building track with lots of female vocals. He's used those quite a lot, but even though I have a hunch it is synth player, I could be wrong but still. It is a synthetic as much of the album is and has a organ involved in the song! Similar to Ion Square as in it gets bolder and has more layers towards the end of the song. Out of 10: 7/10
Yesterday's Gone
An unexpected closer, as chords merge with a warm synth melody that sounds like a perfect break up song! The beat shifts to an R&B song, this most surprising record ends on an emotive note.
Out of 10: 7/10
Meet Me In The Middle
What seems to be a extra track on download sites, kinda the Letter To My Son to the album, this apparently from a reliable source it has interesting vocal work and funnily enough I made a note that read "U2 similarities African background"
Out of 10: Yea, lets just say 10/10 until I hear otherwise
One Day Of Strength
A decent b-side worth listening to! The odd vocals at the beginning made me annoyed but the jagged guitar and funky drum beats this could so easily of been a Bloc Party song, once again has female vocals. I hardly doubt he will play it live, still it can happen!
Out of 10: 8/10
My overall verdict: From averages of the songs it comes to...
8/10
Dragged down by odd vocals on On The Lam, but redeemed by Rise, Tenderoni, Unholy Thoughts and The Other Side.
Walk Tall
A very similar song to Ares, as it's a big opening song with jagged beats. As grimy synths ripple through your eardrums as Kele’s voice comes in and out of menacing sounds this basically sets the overall electronic tone of the album with a synth bass line at various speeds together with a kick and clap drum beat.
Out Of 10: 7/10
On The Lam
This song from the off is just garage, garage all over it, his vocals are the oddest I have heard! Doesn't really get me going. Easily the worst song on the album, purely because of the vocals, it just makes me cringe. But, it easily redeems itself by being better live, the heavy bass just before the chorus is just brilliant.
Out of 10: 6/10
Tenderoni
From the start this is a club hit. His first single has had much mixed reviews from Bloc Party fans on the forum. Sounds like a instrumental mash up of Bodyrox and Wiley, with Keles vocals over the top. Still, ever since I heard it on Zane Lowe on Radio 1 I have gone from hate, to love. Now? I just love it! Building into a throbbing climax, halting momentarily before kicking back into a massive moment of club euphoria, this will be a vital summer hit, NO WAIT IT IS.
Out of 10: 9/10
The Other Side
According to a Mr Ryan Lamont this track is about his homosexuality and the difficulties he had coming out... Don't know what to make of that but still, the guitar makes this track for me, plus the lyrics, 'It's driving me insane' has been running round my head causing havoc since I have heard it! This track ends with a conga breakdown which is a great ending to a song to remember Kele by!
Out of 10: 9/10
Everything You Wanted
This is so 'It's Not The Things You Say', which isn't bad to be brutally honest. It's a slow jam with piano keys all the way through it. The vocals are typical Bloc Party Kele, you won't feel out of place if you are new to his material. It is therefore quite fitting that it's a love song. Kele's vocal work amazed me again!
Out of 10: 7/10
New Rules On this tune you can really hear that Kele had a lot of fun going through the (no doubt massive) sample libraries of the EMI studio playing around with animal noises and answer phone messages etc. None the less this is another slow song, even slower than the one before it. The harmonious female vocals layered on top of his makes this a chilled evening song.
Out of 10: 8/10
Unholy Thoughts
Reminds me of Bloc Party so bad. Lyrics and vocal melody seem to sound at different stages, that they could slide into each of the three Bloc albums. This is one of the brilliant things Kele can do. Making tunes with a solid indie guitar riffs throughout. Potentially another single I think, especially liked the acoustic guitar break in the middle.
Out of 10: 9/10
Rise
One of the early releases (on his blog), this track has been around a while, still with a xylophone start with more female vocals that evolves into quite the electronic song! Clearing the table for the heaviest drop of the record, which floods the speakers with old skool breaks and positive lyrics "you are stronger than you think, you are strong".
Out of 10: 9/10
All The Things I Could Never Say
Another slow building track with lots of female vocals. He's used those quite a lot, but even though I have a hunch it is synth player, I could be wrong but still. It is a synthetic as much of the album is and has a organ involved in the song! Similar to Ion Square as in it gets bolder and has more layers towards the end of the song. Out of 10: 7/10
Yesterday's Gone
An unexpected closer, as chords merge with a warm synth melody that sounds like a perfect break up song! The beat shifts to an R&B song, this most surprising record ends on an emotive note.
Out of 10: 7/10
Meet Me In The Middle
What seems to be a extra track on download sites, kinda the Letter To My Son to the album, this apparently from a reliable source it has interesting vocal work and funnily enough I made a note that read "U2 similarities African background"
Out of 10: Yea, lets just say 10/10 until I hear otherwise
One Day Of Strength
A decent b-side worth listening to! The odd vocals at the beginning made me annoyed but the jagged guitar and funky drum beats this could so easily of been a Bloc Party song, once again has female vocals. I hardly doubt he will play it live, still it can happen!
Out of 10: 8/10
My overall verdict: From averages of the songs it comes to...
8/10
Dragged down by odd vocals on On The Lam, but redeemed by Rise, Tenderoni, Unholy Thoughts and The Other Side.