Ooo blimey! The sun has come out which means England might actually be able to provide a good weather Olympics after all. Amazing. I am now fully prepared for the onslaught of the Olympics - basically I have stocked up on Pimms and strawberries to get me through. One other thing you might wish to consider is the purchase of Kyle Patrick's awesome tune, Go For Gold!, which - as you may know remember - I became very smitten indeed with a few weeks ago. He's followed that up with an equally admirable EP of brilliant pop tunes that definitely deserve more than a few moments of your time. Here are my thoughts on his epononymous EP...
What is evident from commencement to finale of Kyle's EP is the sheer joie de vivre he has for the pop genre. I always appreciate it when artists actually love the type of music they perform - it's all too easy for people to assume that pop is throwaway, or that the person performing it is not a real artist. Not the case at all - pop can be incredibly complex and layered, and not always easy to get right. Luckily, Kyle understands the elements of a good pop song and evidences them in all 4 self penned tunes on the EP. There are huge melodies, catchy choruses, smidgeon of novelty, every man lyrics and assured, confident vocals. It all kicks off with Follow Your Heartbeat - a soaring pop tune with a bubbling beat that is slightly reminiscent of Under The Sea from the Little Mermaid (ain't no bad thing!) The addition of the handclaps to this effervescent reggae-lite atmosphere, coupled with dreamy romantic lyrics about taking a chance on love make the tune irresistable. This is followed by the instant anthem, Go For Gold. Each time I hear this song it reveals new elements & gets even more catchy. The propulsive backing track, electro synths and throbbing beats make it a winner everytime and - like each song here - Kyle's unfettered vocals make for delightful listening.
Wild Ways explodes instantly with convivial "HEYS" kicking off the song's carefree message. A persistent beat draws you into the song, while rave-esque synths provide complementary backing to an eager vocal from Kyle (also displaying some nice falsetto in the chorus). The chants within the song make me eager to hear this live, but the production values on it are top notch. Feelgood pop at it's best. And after three up-tempo treats, Kyle presents a more down tempo track on Baby Don't Board That Plane - an urgent plea to save a relationship. There's an ethereal, haunting, almost gothic instrumental with echoing, booming percussion while Kyle gets to show his more emotive side, pouring his heart into an elegantly nuanced performance. As the beat becomes more regimental and miliatry towards the end, there's an air of repetitive desperation which mirrors those moments when you have exhausted yourself emotionally, only having energy to repeat your soulful urge over and over again. Quite remarkable. And leads nicely into a stripped back cover of Ain't No Sunshine. It's a atmospheric, moody arrangement that flows expertly from the previous track and ends the EP with a moment of studied beauty that is a true work of art. So overall, a sensational set that marks the start of what is hopefully a long and successful recording career for the young fella. PS remind me to give my idea of a video based on his twitter name @realykylepatrick :D
Top 21 songs of the week:
21 ~ Scissor Sisters, Baby Come Home
20 ~ Tone Damli & Eric Saade, Imagine
19 ~ Gravitonas, Sacrifice
18 ~ Madonna, Turn Up The Radio
17 ~ Maroon 5, Payphone
16 ~ fun, One Foot
15 ~ Little Mix, Wings
14 ~ Regina Spektor, Don't Leave Me
13 ~ No Doubt, Settle Down (NE)
12 ~ Nicki Minaj, Pound The Alarm
11 ~ P!nk, Blow Me (One Last Kiss)
10 ~ Little Jackie, 21st Birthday Party
09 ~ Marina & The Diamonds, Bubblegum Bitch
08 ~ Chantal Claret, Honey Honey
07 ~ Ola, I'm In Love
06 ~ Mika, Celebrate
05 ~ Kylie, Timebomb
04 ~ The Killers, Runaways
03 ~ Pet Shop Boys, Winner
02 ~ Maroon 5, One More Night
01 ~ Stooshe, Black Heart (5 weeks)
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