Spun: Ian Kelly

By Robin Ianson

Ian Kelly’s Insecurity is the debut album from this young Montreal singer/songwriter, and unlike many artists who are indie for the sake of being indie, Kelly is the real deal. Recorded at his house using money he borrowed from his mother, Kelly plays every instrument on the album and penned all the songs. Kelly ostensibly wrote Insecurity to prove his emotional and musical depth, but instead it serves as an example of what happens when a talented artist has great ideas, but is unable to turn them into great songs.

For being created on a shoe-string budget the album sounds clean, but the mixing isn’t quite up to snuff. Songs shows signs of being assembled in the studio with backing vocals and drums never blending into the tracks as effectively as they should. Kelly delivers his vocals with strength and conviction, however the lyrics feel unpolished and lack the poetry many other artists possess. The songs “Snow,” “Help” and “Days” prove Kelly has potential, but the rest of the album fails to deliver.

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