Kiwi Jr - Chopper

Kiwi Jr have asserted themselves as low-flying masters of melody across their two albums to date, offsetting their fuzzy and fragile grunge with snappy lyricism. It’s clear from the off they’re sticking to that rewarding path with third full-length ‘Chopper’. Opener ‘Unspeakable Things’ sets the tone with meandering synth-lines as Jeremy Gaudet’s angsty vocals arrive like an old friend. An early highlight comes with the shaken-up slacker pop of ‘Parasite II’ as he laments the cost of modern day living: “There’s gotta be another man in the house whose drinkin’ all my beer.” The band wear their influences well, flitting between the melancholic indie-pop of The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart and the gleeful abandon of Jonathan Richman. The album’s biggest gem is the shimmering ‘Contract Killers’, a track that juxtaposes ‘Heatmiser’-era Elliott Smith’s daydreaming sensibilities with a gritty undercurrent. They’re not re-writing the rule book, but on ‘Chopper’ Kiwi Jr lift off towards becoming cult favourites.