Album Review : Kid Harpoon - Once
- Written by Stef Siepel
For a while it seemed as if Kid Harpoon was a bit dormant. After two reasonably celebrated EPs, support slots for the likes of Mystery Jets and The Kooks and undoubtedly a bunch of others, it seemed as if Tom Hull (for that is his name) went for a snooze somewhere. In reality he seemingly had a bit of trouble to record his songs in a manner he felt comfortable with, which accounts for the much delayed resurgence of this singer/songwriter hailing originally from Chatham but who is kind of a Londoner now. New single 'Stealing Cars' was released earlier this year, and the debut album Once is finally ready to get to the masses.
Probably his most well-known track is 'Riverside', of the Second EP, a clip for it featuring Florence (she of The Machines), and one with a definite twist and bite. So surprising it perhaps is to hear 'Stealing Cars' and, batting third, 'Back From Beyond', of which the accompanying music feels kind of euphoric. "Put your hands up if you feel you're in love," he sings on the first. That's positive. "Did you see the way that I was when I was down?", he sings third. Well, egoistical notions a flailing, we kind of liked the music you churned out when you were (seemingly) down Tom. 'Riverside' with all its grit, not too shabby actually.
Actually, now that he is happy (or at least resonates euphoria), it is good too. 'Stealing Cars' and 'Back From Beyond' are catchy, sing-a-long, proper tunes to dance to with a hand raised while belting out the choruses. And to be quite fair, 'Back From Beyond' is not that positive. "Everybody has its time in the firing line/and this time it's mine to take a couple of rounds/it's okay to feel down," he sings, probably dumped and now looking for someone to pick him up again. 'Flowers By The Shore' as well is a catchy tune with not too positive lyrics, though the message "it's okay to feel down" is kind of positive of course, but not cutesy so.
Sandwiched in between the opener and 'Back From Beyond' there is 'Colours', one of the tracks which show the qualities that make Kid Harpoon so unique. A bit dark, a bit twisted, and Tom Hull with that growling voice and exactly the right intonation, very much an underrated thing. The way he sings/says, "Blue is the colour of the planet we live upon/even though me, I always thought it was green," is an example of usage of intonation that adds to the song. It also showcases his writing skills, exchanging interesting contemplations with quips like "It's the colour of stick it up items / that you can purchase from most major stores."
The middle part of the album does lag a bit, which is a shame. 'Buried Alive' for example, though not necessarily bad, are shackled by singer/songwriter conventions. Slow moving guitar picking over which the troubadour du jour sings about how he "thought I was dead/buried alive". It is a shame that some of the tracks feel a bit too conventional, which is something the artist in case has already proven he can do without. And without conventions the level of potential is always higher than if you keep yourself restrained. It doesn't always come out though, but that's another story.
If you liked 'Riverside' you are going to love the second part of this LP. 'Once' is also slow moving, but because it is imbued with melancholy and almost ghostly in its appearance it is far more captivating than for example 'Buried Alive'. 'Running Through Tunnels' is again a showcase of the trademark qualities of Kid Harpoon: gritty and growling. "Skimper scamper what's for dinner/follow me pretty things/there are evil needles in this haystack!" he sings with increasing poise in his voice. That little bit of darkness and that little bit of menace suit his voice so well, and he can do this as no other. 'Death of a Rose' follows suit, where he over a tingling piano a bit mad hatter-y sings "If I can not have her then no one can have her at all /If I can not have her then no one is leaving at all," to subsequently scowl "But me and her!". In both songs the intonation is impeccable, and the change of voice is really something that sets him apart from everyone else.
The album ends with 'Childish Dreams', which sounds like its title indicates. Kid Harpoon's debut has turned out very well and has been worth the wait. The middle part drags just a tad, but whether exuberant or dark, this man has the qualities to make good songs. When he stays within the conventions of the genre he is a good singer/songwriter, when he goes outside into darker territories he is terrific. When he plays to his strengths and does his thing he is really a class apart from others, and I fully expect him to build on this debut, which is a very good start to what hopefully will be a promising career.