Kealer My Own Worst Enemy

Former Stroke frontman Jason Kelly, or Jackson Kealer to the Manchester Constabulary, returns to the music scene with his debut solo release. His press release makes much of his topsy-turvy life, and in his own words, he'd "be mad not to write about it".

So do the tales of Soho underworld and stealing altar wine add up to an album that's worth its place in your record collection? Unfortunately, not by a long way. Both Kealer's 'hard-knock-life' braggadocio and the strummy Britpop backing are about ten years out of date, and the affected Mancunian accent is surely a lame attempt to cash in on a scene that hit its peak even before that. Despite Kealer's coming at you straight outta Moston, I can safely say that people from Manchester do not sound like that. Never should 'undone' be pronounced 'ondon' with such vigour, simply because it'll make you sound like a muppet.

I don't know, maybe there is a place in today's market for songs like Alcohol And Violence or Cash Money, but I would imagine the market is pretty small, the entire country being well over Britpop and all. Self-referencing songs and chest-beating no longer make a worthy record, and there is a school of thought that says they never did.

Having poached band members from the Lightning Seeds, Ian McCulloch and Richard Ashcroft, Kealer can at least claim to have some musical credibility, but the simple fact of the matter is that a singer/songwriter's art is based pretty much entirely on songs and singing, and that's what's lacking here. There are a few nice touches: opener Thru The Nose is pretty catchy, but for the most part, Jason Kelly simply doesn't have the talent to make it. If he ever does, I'll stand by my words because I don't believe deserves it on this evidence.

Some records are bland and boring, some are good only for background music. When you find a record actively annoying, you know it's not a good sign. If you want to hear convincing songs about seedy lifestyles, listen to Queens Of The Stone Age; if you want an accurate representation of Manchester listen to some Smiths or Goldblade; if you want a dated, grating Britpop throwback, listen to this record.