Track Listing

1. To You
2. Morning Rain
3. Bigger Wheels
4. No Fear Of Falling
5. Loch
6. Storm Warning
7. Dark Star
8. Stop
9. Sunlight Hits The Snow
10. Twist
11. 86 TV's
12. Because

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14664 in Music
• Released on: 2001-03-26
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics

Amazon.co.uk Review
Rather atypically for an album, Natural History has a stated mission: "To change people's lives at three decibels," according to I Am Kloot frontman John Bramwell--a one-time teenage busker on the streets of Paris, who returned home to British shores, half-dead from starvation, with the dream of forming the perfect band. The acoustic dressings, laconic delivery and gleefully knowing arrogance of Natural History immediately recall the 21st-century folk of Badly Drawn Boy's The Hour of Bewilderbeast, but Bramwell's half-spoken, half-sung lyrics often delve into darker realms than the bright-eyed romancing of Damon Gough. So, for every red rose presented with a romantic flourish--see, the falsetto-laden "To You"--there's a funeral bouquet in the shape of the macabre "Twist": "There's blood on your legs," shivers Bramwell, grimly, "I love you". Admittedly, Bramwell isn't quite as clever as he thinks he is; occasionally, his more laboured wisecracks stumble and fall right on their extended metaphors. But when I Am Kloot go straight for the emotional jugular, as on the closing "Because", even their ridiculous name makes a funny kind of sense. --Louis Pattison

Customer Reviews

It shouldn't be as good as it is....
I saw the Kloot supporting Mercury Rev, and although I had heard the name, I hadn't heard any of their music. I was sufficiently impressed to seek out this album.

It is a superb brew. Think Teenage Fanclub, if their main influence had been Leonard Cohen instead of The Byrds. The melodies are almost too immediate, almost too catchy, and the lyrics are full of double meaning and the hint of something terrible hiding under the kitchen sink.

There is nothing world changing about this record. It's just another acoustic folk pop album. But it happens to be a very, very good one.

The start of something very special
Natural History represents the first attempt at an album by I am Kloot. It is incredibly edifying to think what has been achieved without the vast bloated expense of the music industry's purse.

Simple recording of beautiful songs with warped and wonderful lyrics. It is a potent brew.

The stand out tracks for me are Loch and Because they allude to a more developed and complicated future. From their early lo fi beginnings the are looking a good bet for the future.

You do not want miss out on this gem. BUY IT NOW!
I had heard of I Am Kloot for a long time and believed that they were just another new-fad acoustic band (i am referring to the likes of Elbow, Alfie, Turin Brakes etc which are all well and fine but hardly inspirational). How wrong I was! Sure the acoustic guitars are there, but this album pushes the boundries and breaks the mould of how music should be, and surprisingly in doing so, it somehow still manages to retain its catchy pop feel. Simplistic yet strangly enchanting melodies run as an undercurrent throughout the whole album and every song has you humming along by the end of each track. For instance the track 'Twist' bears a close resemblance to the classic childrens song 'The Cat Came Back' which has been interlaced with the songwriters troubled mind, which is truely inspirational. "Theres blood on yer legs, Twist, Snap I Love You". I would rarely give top marks for an album as this generally suggests that it is perfect, but this album is just that. Natural History has to be one of THE albums to have in your collection whether a fan of this genre of music or not. Do not miss out!