For someone who has just released their 27th album, not too mention the various collaborations, 7” singles, Picket Fence titles (mini-albums), and previous bands he's been involved in, Kenny Anderson is still, incredibly, regarded by some as a newcomer.
Recent mainstream magazine reviews claim his latest clutch of songs, 'Rocket D.I.Y.', is a follow up to last year's so-called debut, 'Kenny & Beth's Musakal Boat Rides'. Hardly. There's been two albums since then from the prolific bard of the East Neuk, but hey, what's a few facts between friends, right?
OK, it's his second release in conjunction with Domino, and that fact alone should ensure a wider audience for this criminally under-exposed artist, but that doesn't excuse the bad research.
Founder of the reputable Fence Records label, and the, somewhat, reluctant leader of the Fence Collective, Anderson, under his psuedynym of KING CREOSOTE, has been cultivating his electronic/acoustic folk sound for a touch over a decade now.
'Rocket D.I.Y.' is, in the main, a new collection of songs recorded “...mostly during school hours and after 9pm, from late August through to early October 2004”, and sees Anderson employ various members of the extended Collective to stunning effect.
Drummers Captain Geeko and OnTheFly (who has also added some exquisite electronics to some of the tracks) bring a solidity to the proceedings; a rhythmic base for Anderson to build his songs around. Pip Dylan, Anderson's younger brother, enhances the piano and acoustic guitar based songs with his beautiful steel guitar playing, and there's also valuable contributions from Clock and Reporter.
But, after a few listens, it's obvious the real talent here is Anderson himself. Playing everything from guitar (acoustic and bass), piano and banjo, to the harmonium, melodica and accordian, 'Rocket D.I.Y.' should see King Creosote gain the attention he surely deserves.
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Old favourite 'Klutz' is re-worked as a piano-led rocker, but it's on tracks such as the gorgeous 'Spooned Out On Tick', where Pip Dylan's steel guitar is as sweet as a coating of honey, and the stunning ambient sweep of 'Cirle My Demise', that show the real progression of the King Creosote sound.
Lyrically, he's as witty, caustic and poetic as the best of them. On 'Crow's Feet', he croons the unforgettable line: “If you're Scottish and you're ugly, and you've a relative who looks like cuddly, Dudley Moore”; while 'A Month Of Firsts'' contains perceptive observations like: “Your city looks better, through my rear view mirror”.
And, 'Thrills & Spills', a haunting atmospheric dream of a song, is destined to go down, among those in the know, as a King Creosote classic, good enough to rival such past gems as 'Friday Night In New York' and 'Just After 11 She Left'. If Anderson's voice has sounded sweeter, I've yet to hear it.
For the uninitiated, King Creosote's 'Rocket D.I.Y.' is the perfect introduction to the world of the Fence Collective, and for the more inquisitive among you; there's more treasure to be found in them thar' hills. Get diggin'.
(www.fencerecords.com)
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