Album Mini-review: Keep Shelly in Athens – Now I’m Ready
File Next to: Cocteau Twins, Beach House
With their gauzy, heavily-reverbed ambience, this Greek chillwave duo sounds a bit like synthy Britpop a la Cocteau Twins, crossed with a less-mannered Beach House. Clearly they’d prefer that listeners focus on the music rather than the personalities; shrouded in mystery, they reveal little about themselves beyond their names (RΠЯ and new vocalist Myrtha). The dreamy arrangements are strengthened by a solid, propulsive beat, and Myrtha’s English-language vocals ride confidently atop the music. After a series of EPs, a compilation drawing from the best among those, and a 2013 album (At Home) that showed them searching for a sound, Keep Shelly in Athens come up with a winning approach on the appropriately-titled Now I’m Ready. Equal parts retro and modern, KSIA draws from the past (parts of the title track evoke warm memories of The Dream Academy) and looks confidently toward the future.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4500-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.