SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: KELLY SLOAN – INSIDES OUT

KELLY SLOAN
INSIDES OUT
VICTORY POOL RECORDS

Kelly Sloan is back with her latest release, Insides Out. The Toronto-based singer/songwriter’s latest effort is an intensely personal affair, featuring Sloan on the piano for every track.

Sloan is a talented vocalist with a background in a variety of styles ranging from classical to pop, and her solid foundations allow her to use her voice in a wonderfully emotive fashion.

Insides Out is a collection of introspective songs and Sloan uses other effects and instrumentation sparingly, which adds to the effectiveness of the material. Her collaborators include Matthew Dunn on vibraphone, cellist Eliza Niemi, bassist Mike Smith, and drummer Kieran Adams.

On the opening track, “I Wanna Wake Up”, Sloan uses effects such as reverb sparingly to give her voice a shimmer, and the bass punches in with a lovely moving line at various points in the song. The addition of strings during the interlude provides an effective bit of atmosphere.

“No Worse Way To Go” offers a stripped-down accompaniment, with a very sparse electronic drum beat and subtle synthesizer beds in the background. Sloan’s piano accompaniment is very simple as well, featuring occasional blocked chords. This sparseness allows Sloan’s vocals to shine and suits the theme of the song.

“Russian Smile” features Sloan’s vocals and piano, with very little else. It creates a very intimate atmosphere that conjures memories of other female singer-songwriters who strip down accompaniments to great effect.

Musically, subtlety is the name of the game on Insides Out. The pared-down accompaniments put the focus squarely on Sloan’s lyrics, and for an introspective album like this, it works beautifully.

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