Search - Kele :: Boxer

A knockout!

Nse Ette | Lagos, Nigeria | 06/21/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Kele Okereke is the frontman with UK Indie Roxk band Bloc Party, and "The Boxer" finds him stepping out solo. Bloc Party flirted with Electronic Dance music on songs like "One more chance" or "Flux", and "The Boxer" finds him embracing that sound fully.



Opening is the buzzing distorted "Walk tall" with some military chants, the stomping "On the lam" finds his voice electronically tweaked and is Garage/Jungle. The pulsing Techno "Tenderoni" is the lead-off single and features stabbed synths and clever drum breaks.



"The other side" is rather melancholic with jangly guitars and clunky beats. Guitars also chime on "Everything you wanted". "The new rules" is a lovely ballad finding Kele whispering over a minimal fluttering backdrop.



The sunny Indie Rocker "Unholy thoughts" should please devotees of his alma mater and is one of my favourites. "Rise" features a throbbing baseline and is a euphoric club number of encouragement ("Brothers and sisters can't you see, that you are stronger than you think"). The aching "All the things I could never say" gradually builds to a euphoric climax, and "Yesterday's gone" is an atmospheric string-swathed piece.



"The Boxer" is a muscular collection that packs a mean punch."

"I find Indie very boring these days..."

Steven C. | San Francisco, CA | 06/21/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"That's how Kele answered when he was asked if he'd be re-forming Bloc Party again soon. "I find what I am doing now far more exciting and I've already begun working on my next record."



The truth is, Kele isn't concerned with whether or not you want his solo record to sound like "Silent Alarm". This DEFINITELY IS NOT Silent Alarm, nor was he trying for that... AT ALL. He wanted to go for an electronic sound that would thrill club-goers and concert-goers alike. If you were openminded enough to embrace "Flux" and "Your Visits are Getting Shorter" and "One More Chance", you may love this album. I read one review where the reviewer said "I'm disappointed because Kele has strayed too far from where he was most comfortable." Ummm, well, NO, he strayed from where YOU were most comfortable!



Now onto the album, if you're not expecting Silent Alarm, you may like this a lot! Some songs seem like Bloc Party tracks that could have fit in nicely on "A Weekend In the City" or "Intimacy", like the future single "Everything You Wanted", or the albums two best tracks "Unholy Thoughts" and "Yesterday's Gone".



You still get Kele's unique vocal delivery, and you still get hyper-personal lyrical content from a man who has to have to worst-ever luck with relationships. In one of my favorite tracks, "All The Things I Could Never Say", Kele sings "You tore the button off my favourite shirt/yet another thing I lost to you/where did you stay last night?/You didn't come home." This man's gone through more heartbreak than anyone, hasn't he?



The song "Walk Tall" has a bit of a military stomp reminiscent of the film "Stripes", and I think by now everyone's heard "Tenderoni" and either loves it or hates it. Apart from that, the record stands up well as a well-crafted solo effort. It would have gotten five stars for me if it weren't for the dreadful second track "On the Lam". I'm imagining that this song may be good live, but on record, it reminds me of "Barbie Girl" from the 90s band Aqua.



If you're openminded, like Kele's voice, and can shake your hips with the best of them, this record is for you. If you're hoping for Silent Alarm, you'll be let down."

You're stronger than you think.

Jason Stein | San Diego, CA United States | 07/31/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have liked Bloc Party from "Silent Alarm", but I have to say that for all their energy and ingenuity, they always somehow missed making that great classic album. After three albums, I was somewhat surprised to hear that Kele Okereke was going solo already. I listened to the sound samples and liked what I heard, so I bought the album.



"The Boxer", as others have already noted, is similar to Bloc Party, but different enough to make Kele stand apart (like Robert Plant to Led Zeppelin, or Peter Gabriel to Genesis). Kele pumps up the synths and dance beats more than any Bloc Party album, and the results are great. Ten songs that all flow neatly and tightly together with little waste. "Walk Tall" opens the album with a military march and chant that evolves into a techno Prodigy-like crescendo. "On The Lam" and "Tenderoni" are fast paced dance-floor tracks with interesting arrangements.



The best track just might be "Everything You Wanted". Extremely melodic and catchy, it could be a top 40 hit and crossover dance hit as well. "The New Rules" is technically the only track on "The Boxer" that could be considered a ballad. "Rise" and "Yesterday's Gone" are both solid tracks as well.



So the three weakest tracks are "The Other Side", "Unholy Thoughts" and "All The Things I Could Never Say". These are not quite as good, but this is splitting hairs because they fit nicely into the album as a whole, they're just not songs that I'd consider contenders for singles.



I give "The Boxer" four stars out of five because it is very good, but I don't know that I would consider it a classic. I think Kele, and Bloc Party for that matter, could eventually make a classic album because there is definitely something unique about his/their approach to making music.



Here's how "The Boxer" compares to Bloc Party's previous releases:



2005 Silent Alarm: Four Stars

2007 A Weekend In The City: Three and a Half Stars

2008 Intimacy: Four Stars



Kele:



2010 The Boxer: Four Stars"