Guest review by The Underground venue manager Lee Barber
There are very few people in Staffordshire whose musical talents and artistic gifts stretch so far beyond the realms of us common folk that they can traverse genre unburdened by creative shackles.
Joe Brennan-Hulme is one such person who spings to mind, sitting comfortably and handsome as he does within the throes of unrelenting creativity. Caleb Allport is another, and both of these names are immediately falling from my lips whenever I have been asked that horrid question of who do I think the best song writer is in the area? Looking back over the last decade of working almost exclusively with Stoke music, asking me such a question is akin to asking a mother who her favourite child is.
Caleb Allport however is a name which must be called into question; his natural ease and alluringly warm approach to his songwriting is one which strikes me at two angles. One causes me to feel inspired, that I myself could write as stoically and as tenderly as he, such is the confidence he exudes, while the other sees me fall into a pit of rage, that my mind simply cannot comprehend how such an artist could conjure the wicked, working class punk tunes of Release to the chilled out, thought provoking hip hop vibes of Look Busy, all this on the back of his starting out as a cheeky kid playing bass.
Now from the post apocalyptic wasteland that is the United Kingdom in the ashen fallout of the dreadful Covid-19 pandemic, blossomed forth Walter Kocays, the new outfit from Caleb Allport, metamorphosed once more, refined, restructured, reimagined, and yet still awe inspiring and magical in his offerings.
The latest release from Walter Kocays, entitled Explicitly, I’ve Told, sees a new depth to the poetic mind of an artist dedicated to pushing his creative talents further than even he might be aware possible. Alternative folk certainly suits Allport, whose gritty yet sullen and soft vocal ranges float delicately over a glittering guitar, whilst gentle beats and subtle, powerful work from the gifted James Morrigan on violin really bring an atmospheric slant to the song. The music feels its way through a meadow on a summer evening, ever building so simplicity, so effervescently to lyrics of ‘I Love Life And I Love Those Within It’, before dropping out into an extended outro with the simple and powerful ‘Explicitly, I’ve Told, I Love You.’
What an absolute pleasure it has been, watching Allport grow and mature into the complicated and wonderful talent he is. And what a pleasure knowing there is still yet so much from the artist we can look forward to hearing and seeing, no matter which ethereal form he chooses to offer us his designs.
Bethan Shufflebotham, founder of The Leopheard, added: “Caleb has long been one of my favourite local artists, not just to listen to, but to photograph too. The raw emotion and energy he injects into his music is omnipresent in everything he does, and Explicitly, I’ve Told is a gorgeous example of his authenticity and honesty in his artistry.
“I’ve been waiting for this release since it was performed at Your City in the summer. A tale of love, loss and illusion, he says it’s ‘a declaration of love’ that ‘makes no apologies in its presentation of honesty towards the way in which I felt at the time of writing’.
“His partnership with James Morrigan is a stroke of magic. I had the pleasure of going to school with James, and he very kindly played his violin at my late grandfather’s funeral (who was a big fan of listening to him perform) so his work has always held a very special place in my heart – and the way in which his strings encapsulate that same sense of love and loss in Explicitly, I’ve Told makes it an utterly awe-inspiring and heartwarming track.”
Explicitly, I’ve Told it out Friday, February 9. You can catch Walter Kocays live supporting Tom Hindley (Inspiral Carpets) on Saturday, February 24 at Artisan Tap.
