Keith: Hold That Gun EP
‘Take me beyond this hole, resist the Followers’ world‘. This is Keith’s call to arms, a passionate statement of their intent not to follow fashions or do what is expected; rather it’s an expression of their sometimes-isolated individuality.
Many have compared Oli’s vocal to Manchester’s’ favoured poet Morrissey but, as is the way with Keith, any influence is not borne of intent, rather absorbed in the ether of their kaleidoscopic love of music. It’s not unfair to say that Oli Bayston has a voice more powerful than the former Smiths frontman, and this tunes affinity with an anthem like ‘What difference does it make?’ comes from its passionate individualism, both lyrically and sonically.
Faces
Written in the studio with Keith’s sonic architectural sidekick James Ford, this tune offers layer upon layer of psyche-laced harmonies and chiming guitar picking alongside Johnny’s intricate, sometimes tribal, drums which overall create an awesome wall of tuneful sounds.
Mona Lisa’s Child
Always the rousing finale in Keith’s live set, where crowd surfing and Bez style activists come to the fore, this offers another very unique Keith song-writing slant. Essentially a very brooding dissection of a relationship breakdown, the song throws anger, desperation and love into the pot with a cascade of droning effects, an awesome groove and then from no-where the most audaciously catchy piano solo that wouldn’t be out of place on a dirty groove from the birth of House music.
Bled a Rose
This was probably the earliest tune written by the band when they were working on their music production course in Manchester (via Warrington). Engineered by a friend of the band, George Atkins, and written by guitarist Mark Nicholls – this tune has a beautiful melodic quality that is at the heart of Keith’s music and shows that quality is indeed the essence of what the band are about. The sort of tune that Paul Weller may have written under the influence of his ‘English Rose’ muse.
