A genuinely interesting and creative mix
Can't Beat Him, Can't Join Him is the first full length offering from a project by singer/songwriter Stef Ketteringham, and was recorded mostly acoustically with just one microphone. Even though the equipment was minimal, he has managed to create a truly interesting, challenging and at times marvellous record.
The general sound captured on this record has charm in itself. The minimalist approach to recording lends the record a lo-fi quality and a deliberately unpolished feel to it. The guitar sound (and the overall sound for that matter) is rawer than it would be normally, and it really does sound good for it. There aren't many instruments used on the album at all: aside from the guitar I can only hear a mandolin, an electric guitar on one track, harmonica on one and drums on one. I hear something new in the music every time I play it, but on most of the tracks it is simply Ketteringham, his acoustic guitar, and his idiosyncratic voice. The guitar playing is flawless and captivating throughout, obviously accomplished and quite experimental at times, the melodies in each song often changed up quickly and intricately, resulting in a varied and interesting sound. Ketteringham demonstrates on different tracks several different styles: for instance, on 'Bedding Down Chez Ldv' he creates a brilliant delta-blues sounding track that's fast paced, intricately played and very well executed. You cannot fault guitar playing like that. On 'What Good Is That', it's a simple wistful, flowing ballad, as on 'Skies'. However, on tracks like 'When You're Better I'll and 'I Can't imagine', it's positively haunting.
Where Guns Or knives might challenge a lot of listeners though is Ketteringham's odd vocal style. On tracks like 'What Good is That' and 'Skies', he's fairly conventional. But on many of the later tracks he takes to screaming and shouting rather than singing. Not that that's a bad thing, but it is unconventional and rather an acquired taste. With repeated listening, however, it becomes easier to appreciate. At the very least it challenges the listener, and most of the time pays off. Although 'I'm Only Humanoid' sounds like the output of a madman, and I'm not sure why it's there. But this is a record on which the artist shows us everything he can do with his voice, and he can make basically any sound from pleasant to harsh, and most in between.
Elsewhere, we have tracks like 'Exit Out The Backdoor Bl' and the opening to 'You Can't Fake The First Take' in which Ketteringham goes almost into a capella raps, which, while they don't do much for the record, show an artist with a definite confidence in his own material regardless of what the public may think. This may be the most evident on 'Barclaycard' which to me is unlistenable. Literally just over two minutes of feedback to me: absolutely awful. But, it's the only track like it on here, and again, he chose to include it regardless of what that means.
This is an album that will take me a while to figure out just how much I like, although I know already that I like a fair bit of it. I much prefer him when he isn't shouting, but some of the later tracks where he does are growing on me and can sound quite effective. Regardless of that though, he has produced an album that has its simple, accessible moments, but also moments that will challenge the listener and surprise them, creating a really interesting mix.