Album Review: Kelvin Jones – Stop The Moment
2 min read
He might only be 20 years old, but Kelvin Jones has already toured with James Morrison, signed to Sony Music, and was crowned Best Newcomer at the British Urban Music Awards 2015. And now, just a short period after the self-recording of his song Call You Home went viral on Reddit, Kelvin is releasing his debut album Stop The Moment. Having already been tipped as one of the UKs most exciting new solo artists, this 12-track release demonstrates his versatility, and while he may not be the most individual talent to have emerged in the past few years, Stop The Moment makes for an unavoidably heartwarming listen.
The albums title track is a celebration of the littler things in life, straying away from otherwise common theme of love, which appears to weave its way through much of the albums track listings. As the chorus plays out, we hear the warming surprise of Kelvin’s falsetto peep its head out from behind his husky, soulful drawls. Closing song Even Now follows an invitingly simplistic melody that almost borders on spoken word poetry, contrasted by the unforeseen tease at a psych-rock guitar solo that arrives one chorus before an enthralling acapella ending.
As You Wake Up disappoints, and even more so as it follows the engulfing soundscapes of vibrant lead single Closer. Thought not an awful song, it is centered on recycling a now distasteful, worn-out framework of mushy acoustic love song. Kelvin does prove himself able to write a heartfelt tune minus the cringe though – Good Together is a track with all the components of a pop hit, you can almost visualize the inevitable club-banging house remix on the horizon. Follow You Down is the albums ethereal, piano-driven break up ballad, and In Your Place is its most gut-wrenchingly emotive song, pushing you to feel both Kelvin’s pain, and that of those he is singing about.
Stop The Moment is a debut album that ticks many boxes. It is not uber quirky, nor does it introduce you to anything new. However, Kelvin Jones introduces himself, and does so with an honesty and skill that is both intriguing and promising, making him one to watch out for.
