Between Trapezes >> Hot Press Review
“Believe me when I say this is a superb record. Nick Kelly writes
deceptively simple songs of beauty, honesty, truth and an incredible warmth:
heartfelt ballads and epic, windswept torrents of love and longing. Relationships
form an integral part of his music, from the excitement and apprehension
of their beginning ("Faint Heart") to their often messy breakdown
("Tiburon Prayer"), and he doesn't shy away from examining the
emotional scar tissue that remains ("Grey And Blue").
It's easy to examine a song in too much detail, to dissect it into basslines,
drum rolls, guitar licks and lyrics, but some compositions transcend all
that. The songs here are far, far greater than the sum of their parts, and
should be taken as an almost perfect whole. And indeed, much of Between
Trapezes fits into this category, from the intensity of "Starving Seed"
to the gospel-like mantra of "Crawl".
Self-assertiveness is a recurring theme throughout the album, as Nick attempts
to take control of his own destiny. On "Republic", he documents
the end of a relationship at his behest, and it is quite simply one of the
most heart-rending and beautiful songs I have ever had the privilege to
hear. "Crawl", meanwhile, sees him refusing to lose his identity
to a dominant and possessive partner: "I never wanted a war with you/But
I'm not going to curl up small/Just to make you feel taller". The imagery
of the haunting, arresting "Tiburon Prayer" is superb. When his
former lover moves out and the dust begins to settle in the gaps left by
her passing, he notes that "The ducks on the docks strutted like lawyers/They
eyed up our house for their fees". Elsewhere, imagery of stretcher-bearers,
treaties and battle-fields from the American Civil War reflect the pain
of a break-up on the spine-tingling "Grey And Blue", where he
finally admits that "Though we were blood enemies/Sometimes I wish
you were back here/I'd still prefer hot war with you/To the cold piece I've
found elsewhere". I defy anyone to listen to this song and not be moved.
The closing "Walking Back To My Heart" is a reflection, perhaps,
on his past life with The Fat Lady Sings where "The world turned down
my offer to become its poet clown" and in the end "All I had was
shadows and sad songs". However the arrogance of youth has now dissipated,
leaving Nick upbeat and hopeful about his future. "Between Trapezes"
is itself also reason for music fans to be hopeful, and maybe now Ireland
will belatedly embrace one of her finest songwriters to her bosom. I know
it's only January 1997, but already this one has to be a contender for the
accolade of album of the decade, let alone the year...(12/12)”