The Kickliner hail from Derby and are touted as being 'bookish' and as the linear descendants of The Kinks. The latter is one hell of a claim, but hardly a new one. Thankfully, they sound nothing like any of the Britpop crowd, with the five tracks on this debut offering being thoughtfully delivered without being hesitant or ponderous and avoiding the cockiness that made so many of the Kinks wannabes of the 90s so irksome.
That said, they don't have the punchiness or demonstrate the aptitude for hooks of their predecessors either, instead leaning toward the more sedate, even subdued shoegaze end of dream-pop indie. '17th Floor' is slightly muddy and fuzzy, and manages to be both jangly and have depth. 'Seventeen' is a slow-burner, stretching out for almost seven dreamy, reverb-soaked minutes.
|
As a whole though, it's a little too samey, introspective and self-absorbed, and no one track really stands out or sticks in the mind enough to justify their claims.
The Kickliner on MySpace
|
