Kele Okereke - Fatherland

Rating:

Okereke's gone for a more soulful lo-fi approach.

It's safe to say that Kele Okereke's new album ‘Fatherland' is a dramatic departure from what he's done before, both solo and with Bloc Party. Ditching the dance efforts of his previous solo work, Okereke's gone for a more soulful lo-fi approach for ‘Fatherland'.

‘Streets Been Talkin'' sees Okerere croon "from the palace of Versailles to the streets of Peckham Rye" over the sound of his acoustic guitar, whilst ‘Grounds For Resentment' sees him duet with Years & Years frontman Olly Alexander over a soft jazz-esqe tune and it works brilliantly. ‘Yemaya' has an almost hypnotic guitar running through it, whilst Okereke's duet with Corrinne Bailey Rae ‘Versions of Us' is a highlight showcasing the very best of the singer/songwriter talent that Okerere possesses.

However, Okereke's simple sound grows thin by the time ‘Road to Ibadan' rolls around and it feels as if the album could do with being a bit shorter even at its 45-minute runtime. It may be a departure from Okereke's comfort zone but it's not remarkable and grows old quickly. Josh Williams