Kram - Mixtape (Album)
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The problem with Kram's debut solo album Mixtape can be found within a quote from the man himself (or possibly his PR agent): “I wanted it to be like a radio station where all the songs sound like different bands even though it’s all played by one person.”
The thing is, all the sounds do sound like they were done by different artists, but they also all sound like songs that already exist by already established artists.
There's Jet, Queens Of The Stone Age, Bernard Fanning, Zero 7, Elliot Smith and more. There's no cohesion, so it's hard to tell what exactly on Mixtape is Kram and what is just a ripoff of a better band or artist.
This may stem from the fact that Kram made a conscious decision to make an album of songs from different genres, rather than just setting out to make a good album and seeing where it went. It's like he went, “Okay so we need a fast rock song, a slow contemplative song, a couple of acoustic songs, a drum solo, a piano driven pop song, and a few generic Spiderbait songs,” and filled in the gaps by listening to artists from each genre and replicating what he heard.
The thing is, that's something of a compliment. Each song and each genre he tackles is done well. The lyrics in some of the more upbeat rock songs are extremely weak, but overall the album is filled with songs that are by no means shameful. Kram has talent as a songwriter and a musician, but I just don't think the Mixtape concept works at all.
She's My Girl is vintage Queens Of The Stone Age, Long Cold Night is classic Elliot Smith with a bit of Nick Drake thrown in for good measure, and Silk Suits is Jet on their second album. The lack of cohesiveness is what brings 'Mixtape' down, and yes, I know that it's essentially the point. That doesn't mean it's a good point.
Turn A Light On is a genuinely good song. So is Ridin' High. So is Long Cold Night. But they also sound extremely familiar. If Kram had stuck to one genre, he might have developed some more original content. It's a tough album to review, because every song barring one or two (Harmonies is exactly what it sounds like – a song made up of harmonies, and Thankyou Mr Ludwig is a 3 minute drum solo) is good.
Unfortunately the album as a whole - and as a concept - isn't good at all.
