Kelley Stoltz, Below The Branches (Subpop) By Steve Rudd Release date: February 6th 2006.

This man is amazing; a true star-in-the-making. Kelley is San Francisco-based, and a home recording artist to boot, following-up his 2001 album Antique Glow with this astounding 13-track album that stuns the senses with its down-to-earth and humbling sensitivity that streaks through every song right from the curtain-raising Wave Goodbye: a tune that's both endearing and catchy. Kelley's music has been described as improvisational pop, which it is.

It's also hugely inspirational, especially when the delicate acoustic-rooted wonder of Little Lords magically manages to be so sublime as Kelley's affecting vocals break your heart with ease.

Like a hardcore Ben Folds-worshipper, Mr. Stoltz plays all the instruments on the record himself, recording his songs on an 8-track reel-to-reel machine. Some lo-fi recordings can be notoriously awful, but you'd never guess that these songs had been recorded at home given the vibrant way in which they're presented with aplomb. It just shows that a great many bands and solo artists waste a hell of a lot of money by using the big and flash studios when they could in fact nurture very similar results at home.

As Kelley explains, a home studio is also ideal because it's always there at your disposal, all hours of the day ... and essentially for free! As a result, Kelley has amassed a ton of songs. While he might record as a solo artist, that doesn't mean that he doesn't perform live. He does, and with a full band to back him up.

He's even played with stars such as ex-Pavement genius Spiral Stairs during gigs to promote another of Kelley's albums, Crockodials which - interestingly - was a song-by-song cover of the Echo and The Bunnymen album Crocodiles. The Bunnymen, incidentally, are one of his all-time favourite bands.

Other highlights from Below The Branches include the beautiful Beach Boys-esque Ever Thought of Coming Back, the hypnotic Summer's Easy Feeling, the slide guitar-driven Birdies Singing, the Lou Reed-styled The Rabbit Hugged The Hound and the slow, waltzing lullaby of Winter Girl that might remind some people of Hawksley Workman's romantic stylings. He might be underground, but nobody can deny Kelley Stoltz's status as a subtly thrilling and extraordinary songwriter, regardless of whether his head is Below The Branches or up in the clouds. Contact:info@goldstar.pr.com or joanh@subpop.com.

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