Amelia

They Say...

Review by Andy Kellman, All Music Guide

The overwhelming technical proficiency and engaging lyricism of Long Fin Killie remains on Amelia, but it seems here that the group finally mastered control of their strengths and pared them down for a more effective chunk of music, much easier to take in whole. If there was point of criticism for Long Fin Killie's previous output, it was that there was too much going on. For Amelia, the dominating aspect is the rhythm, and there is a near-absence of the lengthy hypno-tangents. Amelia sounds more naturally developed, not stitched together patches of jam sessions in the manner of Can. There is also not as much guitar and random ethnic percussive devices here, and the breakneck tempo tantrums are all but done away with. Though David Turner was no slouch on the drum stool, his replacement, Kenny McEwan, adds even more skill to the position, becoming the clear driving force. "British Summertime" is LFK at their most blissed-out; Luke Sutherland falls smitten and dreams of smothering his beloved in his arms, amidst bright guitar swells. "Lipstick" -- a word that's popped up in countless Sutherland-penned songs -- foreshadows his move to drum'n'bass instincts, which he would turn to in full for his Bows project. More Photek than Goldie, light guitar blares supply atmosphere for the sexually charged track. More than anything, Amelia is elegant without sounding too precious. Again, violin supplants sparse rhythms in gentle ringers like "Sugar Helping," and saxes riff understatedly in "Bigger Than England" and "Chrysler." The ambient swathes of guitar on "Deep House" make the song, which is another track featuring slight drum'n'bass flourishes. Overall, it's a less politicized record than Houdini and Valentino, one that allows you to focus more on the band's stunning control of sonics.