Kelman used to be the London band Baptiste. They now have one album and two singles under their belt all of which were self released.
On this double a-sided single they demonstrate that they lean to the darker side of indie pop which hints at the likes of the Velvet Underground, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Nick Cave and Galaxie 500. Is This How It Ends is a tale of doomed love and a failing relationship respondent with haunted vocals supported by the sounds of sympathetic guitars and organ.
More doomed love is the order of the day on Postcards which is a reworking of an old Baptiste track. It's a tale of a relationship which has long exceeded it's sell buy date and the songs tender delicateness eventually gives way to gloom and despair. On both tracks the vocals of Wayne Gooderham, whose brother Mark is also in the band, are second to none. At times you can really feel what he is singing with the lyrics being well thought out. If neither track fails to send a tingle down your spine then you are in plot 47 of the East London cemetery.
Is This How It Ends/Postcards is a download only single and can be purchased on i-tunes. Both tracks can be streamed via My Space.
The Gooderham brothers also help run the Uptight club at The Albany and you can get further clues on their influences via the playlist.
Tom, Indie MP3
