The voice is a warble that falters between falsetto and a whisper. The head is a sullen stare with a short clipped crop and pointed eyebrows. And the name remains a slight mystery. Only a promotional video clip reveals Ke' as a man with a tortured soul. Like so many other skinny and abused Euro-crooners, androgyny suits the monosyllabic Ke' very well, and it's a shame that this album hasn't been promoted. Granted, radio stations have shied away from the likes of Ke' for years, but with the advent of "alternative" radio programming, I thought things might have changed.
So, who is Ke'? A first listen to "Strange World" recalls the mood of Peter Murphy's "Deep" with a hint of The Smiths and Erasure. In a club, I can just see the floor filling with black lace and pale make-up when the first chords chime. The rest of the album follows with a little gothic, a little pain, and a good dose of bouncy pop. "Don't Walk Away" and the title track "I am [ ]" both borrow a few hints from Sade (in a good way), and "Someday" slips in a few touches from Kate Bush.
And as the comparisons continue to bounce from Annie Lennox to Duran Duran to Siouxsie, it's obvious Ke' wears his influences on his sleeve. But, he is a good student, and this is a thoroughly enjoyable listen. I am [ ] is 80's euro-pop for the nineties without the K-tel, "hits of the 80's" saccharin. The tunes are melodic, not too heavy, and should find an audience with those who can't bear to hear those old worn-out retro tunes anymore.
