Sheffield songsmith Kai Undrell returns with Full Fat Fear, made up of a mix of Americana, folk and alternative fusion. His piano led ballads are packed with heart and soul, making for a touching and emotive listen.
Undrell’s tracks are often upbeat and up-tempo, with piano parts doing the heavy lifting. He is accompanied by drum machines and other accoutrements, mingling together to form these fantastic, jaunty tunes. Can it Get Any Better…? Is a brilliant cut from the EP, where Undrell’s piano and vocals are brilliantly complemented with synth and electric keys. His voice is fabulous too, and really suits his style - it has a Dylan-like quality and wouldn’t be out of place on something by The Band.
Lose Your Nature is the standout on the EP: the cut is bang in the middle of the extended play, and sees Undrell duet with Harri Larkin. The combined harmonies are gorgeous, and combined with synthy strings and brushed drums, the simplicity of the work is its greatest strength - it’s no-nonsense, which allows you to really immerse yourself in the world Undrell is creating here.
The whole body of work is utterly satisfying too, he writes these brilliant heartfelt numbers that are just dripping in melancholy, which sway and swing along. They have the sensibilities of late-Smiths, in the sense that the higher tempo, up beat tunes are often brought into crushing reality with the sensitivity of Undrell’s lyrics.
This is a highly promising debut EP from Undrell, who flexes his songwriting muscles throughout this body of work. He shines here, sounding fantastic over sensitive piano work.
You can listen to it here: