Ally Kerr

“Quietly confident third album from Glasgow pop-folkie……there’s wisps of cinematic wistfulness, there’s a bit of Paul Simon and emotional resilience which hints, quietly, at Ennio Morricone” 8/10 - UNCUT magazine
“A great songwriting talent from Scotland” – Bob Harris, BBC
“Gentle Scottish folk with a pop tinge. If Stuart from Belle & Sebastian did a solo gig…” -Washington Post
"A luxurious delicacy" - Femme Actuelle (France)
"A dark, dreamy, captivating album...the melodic gems grow stronger with each listening" - The Herald
"A heady combination of guitar riffs and pop melody has seen Ally Kerr become the next big thing on the British music scene" - Time Out Singapore
“Outstanding melodies and charm. A pop classic” – Rock Deluxe (Spain)
"Inspired.... all the rainy loveliness of Belle and Sebastian" - UNCUT magazine
“A sparkling tunesmith” – Metro
“Beautifully melancholic” – Press Association
"Kerr's songs meld the saccharin side of Belle and Sebastian with the kind of melancholy that Paul Simon's cat must feel at the end of a day's recording after milk and biscuits. They are beautifully written and wistful" - Sunday Herald
"One of Scotland's best-kept secrets offers another magical mix" - Daily Record (Scotland's biggest-selling national daily)
“Simply beautiful tunes” – Music Magazine (Japan)
“Songs to go quietly wild for” - Maverick Magazine
“One of Scotland's brightest rising stars” – The List
“Sweet pop gems”, "An undiscovered gem" – Sunday Mail (Scotland's biggest-selling newspaper) - Various

Quietly confident third album from Glasgow pop-folkie. In the 10 years since his debut long-player, singer-songwriter Ally Kerr must have grown used to comparisons with Simon and Garfunkel and Belle and Sebastian. No change here – the sound is defined by the mashmallow sweetness of his voice and the fluffy melodies which mask a bleak worldview with wisps of cinematic wistfulness. So where there is a bit of Paul Simon on the opening “Everything I’ve Learned I Have Forgotten”, there is no denying the deeper sadness that pervades “5am” or the emotional resilience of “The Bitter Part”, which hints, quietly, at Ennio Morricone. 8/10 -

CD Review: Ally Kerr Viva Melodia (Much Obliged)

Russell Leadbetter

On his Facebook page on the last day of 2012, Glasgow acoustic singer-songwriter Ally Kerr expressed the hope that his music “will continue to drift further and wider over the next year”.

His third album is finally here, and though it doesn’t hang around, at under 26 minutes, he may yet get his wish.

Kerr has a cult following in Europe and Asia; in China, his first two albums have been licensed to one of the country’s biggest entertainment groups for release next year. His homeland is catching up.

Viva Melodia has been produced by Biff Smith, frontman with The Starlets, and what is striking here is not just Kerr’s growing self-confidence as a writer, but the sparing but highly effective use of a string quartet, as well as trumpeter Gordon Kyle and flautist Graeme Brooks. It’s a dark, dreamy, captivating album, and the melodic gems, which grow stronger with each listening, include Man’s Man (an address to a former lover), Safe From You, Whatever Happens and the instrumental title track.

There are shades, here and there, of Neil Halstead and the much- missed Tompaulin, but Kerr is etching out a sound all of his own.

- The Herald

The press release for this Glasgow singer-songwriter’s third album, Viva Melodia, pitches him as “one of Scotland’s best-kept secrets”, so it seems fitting that it’s produced by another unsung talent of Scottish indie, Biff Smith of the Starlets.

The two have obvious things in common: a featherweight androgynous singing voice, a romantic streak and a songwriting style that is gentle, understated, charming, bittersweet and at its best when embellished with the gorgeous string arrangements of Pete Harvey, a long-time Starlets associate, more recently a member of the Edinburgh band Meursault, and a prominent presence here.

Like the Starlets, Kerr has found a supportive audience in the Far East – a Japanese music magazine listed his debut as one of its 20 best Scottish albums of all time, and he has played there several times since, as well as in Shanghai and Beijing. Viva Melodia, released last week, looks set to build on this. It’s a lovely album, on which Kerr’s simple engaging songs are fleshed out with flutes, brass, piano and sweet harmonies from Smith. - Scotland on Sunday

Please see link. - Femme Actuelle

Please see link - Daily Record

GOD IS IN THE TV

As a reviewer, I get sent more music than I can possibly listen to. Not least because when an album as lovely and beautiful as this, it tends to get many listens. And deservedly so.

While Ally Kerr was a new name to me, this is something that I am rectifying. It’s his third album, and his first for six years, during which time he has been building up his profile, particularly in Asia. There’s something magical and mysterious at work here, and his gorgeous songwriting deserves comparisons to the likes of the classic Scots indie pop which he is predictably compared to.

Right from the off, album opener ‘Everything I’ve Learned I Have Forgotten’ sets the tone for a collection of well-crafted songs, a lovingly arranged album. Other highlights include ‘Safe From You’ and ’5am’ – and the magnificent melancholy deserves to be the soundtrack of your autumn.

****

http://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/2014/09/22/ally-kerr-viva-melodia-much-obligedshellshock/

LOUDER THAN WAR

8.5/10

Scottish singer songwriter releases his third album. Louder Than War’s Paul Scott-Bates reviews.

Waking up in the morning with a song in your head usually means on of two things – you’ve been watching too much CBBC with your five year old daughter, or it’s a catchy song that you can’t get enough of. Fortunately for Ally Kerr, in this case it was the later and the track was recent single The Bitter Part.

The Bitter Part is one of many highlights on Viva Melodia, an album of ten lovely, if short, folk-pop songs with their feet stuck somewhere in the 60s and (allegedly) with hints of Belle & Sebastian and Nick Drake. I can see the last two comparisons myself, but let that not influence you.

Ally wrote the songs on this album on the piano whist he was actually learning how to play the instrument. That’s impressive given the quality of the songs on display which have previously given him huge following in Europe and Asia and was sufficient enough to attract production contributions by the likes of Biff Smith and Kramer.

I’m thinking The Mamas And The Papas with possibly bits of The Beatles or Paul Simon chucked in for good measure. You may think otherwise but either way it’s all very pleasant and as the album title suggests, melodic stuff.

There are several highlights. The minute and a half of 5am is particularly lovely with its string and voice make up, and Safe From You is a beautiful track written simply as most of his tracks are. There’s no real need for over complicating matters and Kerr’s voice, sometimes quite feminine sounding, is an instrument in itself.

It’s all lovely stuff, The Bitter Part is the most upbeat track on the album with an amusing video (check out YouTube if you will) and a chorus which could well drive you mad today as it refuses to leave your head. Man’s Man too is as catchy as things get my friends. Simplicity, is clearly the key with Ally Kerr and mighty fine it is too.

http://louderthanwar.com/ally-kerr-viva-melodia-album-review/

PENNYBLACK MUSIC

Ally Kerr is one of Scotland's best kept secrets. 'Viva Melodia' is his third studio album, and for it he has secured the services of Biff Smith, the front man of the wonderful and under-rated Starlets, on production duties. This, and contributions from many of his band mates, make this release a sumptuous affair, with strings and brass layering Ally's bitter sweet ballads, love songs and tales of lost love and woe.

'Everything I've Learned I Have Forgotten' opens the album, and from that moment on it's clear that Kerr's heart and soul have gone into this project . 'Man's Man' is another tale of lost love, as were many on his first release' Calling Out to You' and its successor 'Off the Radar', which have won Kerr an army of fans in Japan, Spain and even China where he has toured extensively. 'The Bitter End' is unquestionably the stand-out track on 'Viva Melodia', but, however, 'Future Mending' and the beautiful '5 a.m.' make it also worth owning.

http://www.pennyblackmusic.co.uk/MagSitePages/Review.aspx?id=9107

RAVE CHILD

Viva Melodia is the third album from Ally Kerr, one of the most popular sons of the Glasgow singer songwriter scene whose brand of humble yet charming music has gained him acclaim in recent years.

By the sound of things, this new record is going to propel him even further into the limelight.

Throughout the album, Kerr tends to opt for the formula of heartbreaking lyrics wrapped in slow yet sunny melodies, giving Viva Melodia an uplifting feel, this technique is put into particularly good use in the opening track ‘Everything I’ve Learned I Have Forgotten’.

Although the record is certainly very easy on the ear, it is anything but background music, the combination of the clear simplicity of Kerr’s voice and the honesty of his lyrics creates a strong sense of intimacy, so that it almost feels as though the songs have been written for the listener.

Although the singer appears to be sticking to what he knows in terms of the style, he has made some changes, most notably the addition of strings to his band giving the music a much richer sound; this is especially effective on ‘So Long Goodbye’.

In terms of highlights, ‘Man’s Man’ and ‘The Bitter Part’ are particularly strong, as is the brief yet beautiful ‘Future Mending’, which initially appeared on Kerr’s first album in a slightly different guise.

That said, every track contributes something special to the record.

The brilliant instrumental title track is a fitting conclusion to the album, and as the words Viva Melodia would suggest, Kerr’s melodies certainly do live on in the minds of listener long after the final chord.

http://ravechild.co.uk/2013/08/18/record-review-ally-kerr-viva-melodia-much-obliged/#comments

ARTTREE

Ally Kerr has been flying high on the folk-pop radar for a few years now and the Scottish singer is starting to become increasingly known internationally too. His reach has extended all the way to being included as the opening track to Japanese animation Mushishi. With his latest and most ambitious release Viva Melodia, his popularity is sure to increase.
A large part of what makes Kerr’s work and in turn Viva Melodia so outstanding is the warmth and familiarity he carries in his music. It’s a gentle and understated type of folk-pop music that he produces and in this album there is an immediate sense of the grandiose that surrounds each track. With his soft Scottish lilt it’s easy to compare his work to that of Belle and Sebastian. It’s whimsical, subtle and completely charming as it washes over you.

Kerr has always had a distinctive and melodic sound to his music but Viva Melodia has an altogether larger sound to it as every track has an orchestral charm. Soaring violins and tinkling piano keys lend the album an inimitable quality that completely immerses you. You can’t help but get washed along in the current, especially in tracks such as The Bitter Part and So Long Goodbye.

To top of his captivating musical choices, Kerr adds his gentle Scottish inflection to the mix to complete the songs. His slightly high voice blends itself perfectly into the music and soars as high as his violins to create an album that makes the five years we have been waiting for it worth the time.

Viva Melodia has only one downfall to it, and that is the overall running time. With ten tracks totalling just 26 minutes it feels as though the much-awaited experience is over far too quickly. But then again, that’s nothing that hitting play again can’t fix.

http://www.artree.org.uk/album-review-ally-kerr-viva-melodia/

AMERICANA-UK

No-one hearing this, the third album by Glaswegian singer-songwriter Ally Kerr, could fail to be reminded of Belle and Sebastian as "Viva Melodia" has a strong chamber-pop sensibility - lush tunes carried along by strings, piano, and wind instruments as much as by the voice alone. Beyond this superficial similarity there is a concept album concerned with the varied emotions associated with the end of a relationship; with denial and loss and eventual glimmers of hope once more. More often than not the bitter-sweet lyrics tumble out in a honeyed disguise, quiet, dreamlike and flowing on a stream of melodic hooks. Far from raging at the vanishing of love, Ally Kerr is more likely to express hopes for the future and a wistful sense of loss.

Which is not to say that there isn't inner turmoil; "Everything I've learned I have forgotten" tries to avoid pain by blotting it out - but it's impossible : "Old thoughts they won't let me go / Old thoughts, please just let me grow now" he pleads. By the time we get to the bossa nova flecked "So long goodbye" self-doubt has more than crept in and like every loser in love Kerr is close to swearing off this love business forever - "Is it worth it ? / To feel all this trouble inside / Well I want to just hide". The presence of Sarah-Beth Brown's sweet backing vocals tend to suggest he hasn't thrown off the spell completely. As does the very brief "5am", a bad case of pre-dawn downs sung over a simple strummed guitar, with contemplative piano and strings taken it to the close. The urge to just runaway features on "The Bitter Part", again graced with breathless backing vocals as well as an almost mariachi trumpet.

It's a quiet album that is rich in enjoyment, and the kind of album that the truly broken-hearted might find themselves clinging to over repeated listenings until those oft-heard lyrics "but I know I can't go on / turning sadness into song" finally act as a healing balm. And, should you happen to be lucky in love there's still a sweet confection here to enjoy.

http://www.americana-uk.com/cd-reviews/item/ally-kerr-viva-melodia

17 SECONDS

Ally Kerr -’Viva Melodia.’ (Much Obliged/Shellshock)

As a reviewer, I get sent more music than I can possibly listen to. Not least because when an album as lovely and beautiful as this, it tends to get many listens. And deservedly so.

While Ally Kerr was a new name to me, this is something that I am rectifying. It’s his third album, and his first for six years, during which time he has been building up his profile, particularly in Asia. There’s something magical and mysterious at work here, and his gorgeous songwriting deserves comparisons to the likes of the classic Scots indie pop which he is predictably compared to.

Right from the off, album opener ‘Everything I’ve Learned I Have Forgotten’ sets the tone for a collection of well-crafted and lovingly arranged album. Other highlights include ‘Safe From You’ and ’5am’ – and the magnificent melancholy deserves to be the soundtrack of your autumn.

****

http://17seconds.co.uk/blog/2014/09/16/album-review-ally-kerr/ - Various

"Inspired... all the rainy loveliness of Belle and Sebastian" - UNCUT magazine

“A great new songwriting talent from Scotland” – Bob Harris, BBC

"A heady combination of guitar riffs and pop melody has seen Ally Kerr become the next big thing on the British music scene" - Time Out

“Beautifully melancholic” – Press Association

"Gentle Scottish folk with a pop tinge. If Stuart from Belle & Sebastian did a solo gig..." - Express (part of the Washington Post Company) on album track 'Amorino' as music video Pick of the Day.

"The second record from this Scot makes you jump and smile just like Belle and Sebastian does and touch you just like Kings Of Convenience does. Kerr knows how to come down with the umpteenth pop song and make it seem the first one" - Rock Delux (Spain's premier music magazine)

"Gorgeous” - Alex Hampshire, XFM Radio

"Wonderful Scottish power pop" - Gary Crowley, BBC Radio

“A sparkling tunesmith” – Metro

“If someone tells me they have heard better-written songs this year I will duel with them at dawn” -Dominik Diamond, Daily Star

“Simply beautiful tunes” – Music Magazine, Japan

“One of Scotland’s brightest rising stars” – The List

“Ally Kerr deserves to be a star” – Daily Record

“Sweet pop gems” – Sunday Mail

“Songs to go quietly wild for” - Maverick Magazine - Various

"Gentle Scottish folk with a pop tinge. If Stuart from Belle & Sebastian did a solo gig..." - Express (part of the Washington Post Company) on album track 'Amorino' as music video Pick of the Day. - Washington Post Company

Off the Radar is the second album from one of Scotland’s brightest rising stars, Ally Kerr, whose debut set Calling Out to You from 2005 was hailed by critics from as far afield as Tokyo; the Glaswegian can be traced back as early as 2003 when he released a John Peel-friendly EP.

Echoing the likes of Stephen Duffy, Tim Burgess and Belle & Sebastian, this follow-up – featuring The Pearlfishers’ David Scott at the studio controls – will reach out to the bedsitter student among you, perfunctory single ‘Could Have Been a Contender’ being an enjoyable opener.

While Kerr shines lyrically (bar the soppy ‘Toothbrush Song’), his other goal is to subdue the listener into a feel-good euphoria via highlights ‘Be the One’, ‘Amorino’, ‘Is it Too Late to Work for NASA?’ and the candy-coated grunge title track. Now get out that moth-ridden flowery shirt and drive. - The List

THE YouTube video for Ally Kerr's The Sore Feet Song shows him in a parka, ambling about in Kelvingrove Park. Next to it is a video of the same song as used in the title sequence of the Mushishi anime series. The Scottish singer-songwriter is big in the East; his debut album Calling Out To You was included in a major Japanese magazine's top 20 Scottish albums. Back home he is less well-known.

Most of Kerr's songs meld the saccharin side of Belle And Sebastian with the kind of melancholy that Paul Simon's cat must feel at the end of a day's recording after milk and biscuits. They are beautifully written and wistful, a viable antidote to the bombast of daily life. If you like fragile, it's worth listening carefully. If not, spare a thought for the man the next time you're walking through Kelvingrove Park. - Sunday Herald

Kerr has none of the support network of a Fence Collective, but is doing rather well on his own, MCing with his own club nights in Glasgow's west end and finding favour with discerning pop-pickers in the Far East. His second album, made with Davey Scott at the latter's East Kilbride hit factory, is a showcase for some very fine songwriting.

The more robust end of the equation - including the excellent title track - betrays the hardly unusual influence of Alex Chilton and Big Star, while more fey material like The Toothbrush Song makes the BMX Bandits sound like the Bad Seeds. There is a lovely breathy quality to Kerr's voice and he sounds, thankfully, nothing like Max Bygraves. - The Herald

Glasgow's Ally Kerr is a bit of an undiscovered gem unless you are in Japan, where he is huge. This well-crafted album mixes ballads such as Footprints and Be The One with the jangly pop of Could Have Been A Contender. It reminds of Simon and Garfunkel in parts. - Sunday Mail

One of Scotland's best-kept secrets offers another magical mix of ballads and up-tempo rock numbers - Daily Record

Scottish songwriter Ally Kerr's second LP Off The Radar has several inspired moments, not least 'Could Have Been A Contender', which jangles with all the rainy loveliness of Belle and Sebastian. - UNCUT magazine

One of Scotland's best-kept secrets offers another magical mix of ballads and up-tempo rock numbers - Daily Record

A big name already in Japan, the Scottish singer tries to make an impact on home ground with a new single and forthcoming second album. Could Have Been A Contender is an upbeat playful track with swinging guitars, but the B-side, Dislocation, is a beautifully melancholic song. - Shereen Low, Press Association Reviewer - Press Association (appeared in countless regional titles across the UK)

The next big thing? Certainly in Japan, and waiting to happen here in the UK. Ally Kerr, who is already ‘big in Japan”, is touted as one of this year’s rising stars in songwriting.

His debut CALLING OUT TO YOU actually sold out of stock in Japan, (although we no information how many they started with) and he’s had a nomination for single of the year in Germany and the blessing of John Peel as further good signs. Combining the watercolour lovelorn pop of the likes of fellow Scots, Belles and Sebastian, the sweet folksy melodies of Donovan, and fair sprinklings of jangle rock along the lines of Teenage Fanclub, Kerr indeed strikes a winning formula in my book.

His thirteen strong collection of tracks is above all, incredibly hum-able, with the positive feel of the best songs by the Bluetones. A boy meets girl, sweet and innocent romance ensues and eventually they break up and miss each other. But nothing really bad happens. The bright ’hey ho” of Someone’s got a crush on me is a particular highlight, showing romance doesn’t have to be painful. If only! These are simple love songs for sensitive indie kids, and ones to go quietly wild about.

HK, MAVERICK MAGAZINE 4/5 - Maverick Magazine