I have probably read more books by Roald Dahl than by any other man (or woman) in the world. He held a monopoly on the literature that was read to me before bed. Maybe this has something to do with how I turned out now, maybe not. I’d like to think it did, as Dahl is certainly one of the more creative children’s writers out there. I can only assume the members of
Kiss Kiss have had some sort of the same relationship with the author as I have. I assume this for two reasons: For one, the band’s name comes from a collection of short stories by the author and second, the band is about as creative as their genre allows. Which genre is it that Kiss Kiss bend to its limit? I have no idea.
Says My Doctor , the first track, alone is an overflowing blend of pop, indie, punk, rock and experimental. The songs musical hook comes in the form of a memorable violin part, which intertwines with a few lightly distorted guitar chords and some fairly eclectic, mega catchy vocals. Kiss Kiss’s singer Josh Benash has one hell of a voice. When calm, his vocals are very pretty and fairly feminine but for the majority of Says My Doctor, his vocals sound pained, almost as if he is on the verge of tears. At the very end of Says My Doctor, he lets out a massive scream of anguish and defeat before the rest of the band burst into the heaviest part of the song; a Frank-Zappa esque jam, so frantic you can barely hear the separate instruments.
Kiss Kiss is the kind of band that is just as dark as they are beautiful, with music that can send shivers down your spine. The sublime
Thought You Spoke is a good example of this. With its chilling violin infected choruses, Thought You Spoke shimmers with a creepy radiance not unlike Radiohead’s
Climbing up the Walls . Closing off the album is another highlight track,
Killing the Son . Beginning with an atmospheric, Post-Rockish intro, Killing the Son is an emotional track. The verses are quiet, violin and guitar arpeggio ridden affairs, while the choruses “bring the rock” with some unpleasant instrumental harmonies and pounding drums. Overall, Killing the Son is a damn good way to end a damn good album. Kiss Kiss create some really interesting music and all of the members are quite talented. The smoothie of genres they call their own is showcased very well on this five track EP. It may take some getting used to, but in the end the Kiss Kiss EP is, simply put, an excellent recording. 4.5/5
-Dan
