{Alternative, Indie, Jangle Pop} Eugene Kelly {Vaselines, Eugenius} - Man Alive - 2003, MP3, 192 kbps

Eugene Kelly (born 1965) is a Scotland musician who is a member of the group The Vaselines, a founding member of the now disbanded Eugenius and has had a number of solo releases. Eugene Kelly formed The Vaselines in Glasgow, Scotland in 1986 with Frances McKee and was a member until 1989 when the band split up the week their first and only full length album, Dum-Dum (album), was released. Kurt Cobain of Nirvana was a big fan of the band, covering three of their songs. Candy/Molly's Lips and Son Of A Gun were included on their album, Incesticide. Nirvana also covered The Vaselines song Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam on their album, MTV Unplugged in New York. In 1990, Kelly formed Captain America but was forced to change the name after an objection from Marvel Comics. The band then became known as Eugenius. He has had a number of collaborations with Evan Dando of The Lemonheads and in 2003 Eugene released a solo album, Man Alive. In 2006, he toured with Isobel Campbell, replacing Mark Lanegan when performing songs from Ballad of the Broken Seas and supporting Mogwai and The Lemonheads in Europe. In the summer of 2006, Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee took to the stage together for the first time since 1990 to perform a set of The Vaselines songs, as part of a joint tour to promote their individual solo albums. This led to The Vaselines reforming (minus the old rhythm section) on the April 24, 2008 for a charity show for the Malawi Orphan Support group at Glasgow's MONO venue.

Man Alive, Eugene Kelly's first solo album since the demise of his group Eugenius, is a charming, low-key effort full of his trademark wit, humor, and songcraft. The bulk of the album is made up of chiming guitar pop tunes with sweet vocal harmonies that wouldn't sound out of place on a Teenage Fanclub record -- just add Kelly's laconic vocals and world view. Indeed Kelly has learned much about the jangle from his fellow Scots. There is none of the grungy heaviness that often turned Eugenius songs into muddy filler. Now Kelly's songs are either light and tender ("I'll Be Yours," "Older, Faster") or rich and expansive ("Noise and Smoky Breath," "The Healing Power of Firewalking"). Either way they are refreshing and quite lovely. Equally as nice are the songs with a folky, acoustic feel like "Sinking Ship," "She Wears My Rings," and "Dear John" that betray a newfound maturity and the rocked-out tunes like "Ride the Dream Comet," "You're Having My Sex," and the cute, should-be-a-hit "I'm Done with Drugs." Taken together you have a fully rounded-out album that ought to make fans of Kelly -- and of intelligent and fun guitar rock -- glad the man has dragged himself back out on the tiles.

Credits
Artist Credit
Cousinred Photography
Dave Gormley Drums, Vocals (Background)
Gordon Keen Guitar
Eugene Kelly Composer, Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals
Bob Kildea Guitar
David McGowan Banjo, Guitar (Bass), Pedal Steel, Piano, Vocals (Background)
Brian McNeill Engineer, Keyboards
Stacey Seivewright Cello
Paul "Scooby" Smith Guitar (Bass), Vocals (Background)
Rogelio Ward Guitar
Jamie Watson Engineer

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