KaySax – “Close To You” / “Let Us Dance”
KaySax – “Close To You” / “Let Us Dance” – Singles Review
This dude’s in solid shape for the future ahead – I dig what I’m hearing from KaySax so far!
As you’d likely assume from the name, we’re talkin’ about saxophone-based music here in review today, and within the instrumental realm, respectively. While you might find the man himself, Olukayode Awe, in a variety of ways out there in this world, playing all kinds of roles as a business man, procurement supervisor, and agriculturist – we’re focusing in on his efforts as a music minstrel and saxophonist here today. That’s right y’all…sure, I listen to music, but I pay attention to all the details I can find out there and you just never know what I’ll choose to comment on! For a hot minute after this submission came my way and the music disappeared online, I almost had no choice but to talk about his other vocations.
But it’s all back on the internet where it should be now, and so here we are.
Anyhow. You know…I gotta say…even when a guy like myself would readily tell you instruments like the violin, saxophone, and cello would be among my favorites in the music scene, the reality is they’re still a lot more rare to find in regular rotation. At least that’s the case over here…I’ll probably end up hearing about another hundred or two-hundred Rock bands before I’ll get the privilege of being able to hear another dedicated saxophone artist like KaySax…and that number might even be on the conservative side of any estimate. The effect that scarcity has on listening to music is actually quite interesting when it comes right down to it – my ears are instantly invested and paying full attention when someone like KaySax is on my playlist, but there’s even more to it than that. While I might be well-versed in all kinds of music, I’d never be the one to tell you I know everything that’s out there in every genre – that’d just be foolish, and obviously unbelievable. But the effect of not having a lot of exposure to something like saxophone-based music, and not knowing its genre inside & out, can basically make things sound very similar in an odd way. As in, I listened to both “Close To You” and “Let Us Dance” and thought to myself, “are these actually cover tunes?” I’ve done my due diligence as best I can as I always do, and I couldn’t find other versions – so we gotta assume that these are indeed, KaySax originals. Having said that, my next thought was, “what an awesome compliment it would be to have someone listen and think that a couple of new songs would be covers” – because that IS a compliment, ain’t it? It sounds like “Close To You” and “Let Us Dance” are tunes that have been a part of the soundtrack to our lives for years and years. On the one hand, everyone wants to stand out on an individual level of course, but on the other, to be a new artist on the scene & already sounding like you fit right into it, that’s gotta be a great thing!
I mean, I could be looking in the wrong spots for the originals…that’s always a possibility, but at the very least, these two tracks seem like they’re all-new to me, despite sounding very familiar at the same time.
I really like that “Close To You” sounded like the quintessential ballad/classy easy-listening tune that you’d expect to hear from a saxophone artist. Of the two tracks, I’d tell ya that this is my favorite without hesitation – “Let Us Dance” is a good tune too, but it’s appealing for a totally different set of reasons, and the emotional weight of “Close To Me” is much closer to something I’d normally seek out to listen to on a personal level. I believe…if I’m not mistaken…KaySax plays an Alto Sax…which has a naturally higher-up sound to it overall than its instrument-cousins. Of course, if I’m wrong about that, believe me, the entire internet will find time to correct me right quick. I might not always know the most technical details, but I can easily recognize passion when I hear it, and I can definitely hear that in the way that KaySax plays “Close To You.” The overarching theme in the song and its main hooks sound fantastic – you can genuinely feel this is meant to be a love-song of sorts based on the way that it’s played with such a noticeably tender touch & bold notes. It’s a considered and contemplative type of tune, but still one that displays a whole lot of passion and heart in each note you hear at the same time. I dig how this song seems to reach out to us as we listen & how it connects to us through a strong soulful vibe – KaySax does a really stellar job of tapping into the alluring sound of his instrument of choice here. Ultimately, “Close To You” sounds like it could go on to become quite the iconic instrumental theme.
I’ll tell him this upfront – I’d completely ditch the “it’s KaySax” found at the start of his songs. While it’s true that it’s a thing that some artists and bands tend to do with their material, I’ve honestly yet to meet anyone on the listening side of the speakers that thinks this is a good idea. Not only does it become massively redundant and expected over time, it also tends to come with that ‘branding’ type of feel to it, and music is a very tough thing to market in a sincere way when that’s the method being used, make sense? Anyhow. Those types of decisions are well above my pay grade and completely individual – I’m just calling things like I hear’em as I always do, and the spoken word intro is unnecessary as far as I can tell. You wanna know the best way to introduce yourself as a musician? Create identity that speaks louder than words. It’s not the easy route by any stretch, but it’s much more beneficial in the end, I assure ya. I like what he’s got goin’ on in “Let Us Dance” and feel like, of the two songs I’ve heard from KaySax, this second cut probably has more universal vibes and widespread appeal to it. Like I said, on a personal level, I’m all about “Close To You” – that’s the better two in terms of songwriting in my opinion, but when it comes to energy that the people will connect with, the celebratory spirit of a song like “Let Us Dance” is bound to attract that much more attention due to its cheerful sound & upbeat demeanor. In terms of the skill you hear on display, I also feel like “Let Us Dance” has the opportunity to make a bigger impact…KaySax flexes a bit more technical flair in this tune and the way he plays it, and I feel like that’ll impress a whole lot of listening ears out there. It’s a feel-good track at the end of the day, and in general, the masses are always happy to turn one of those up – you know it, I know it, we all know it.
The real bottom line here though, is that KaySax has put himself in a solid position to make an impact on you all this year by releasing these two songs that show us very different sides of his sound. They are technically proficient and undeniably passionate, and even if you feel like you enjoy one of’em more than the other like I do for your own personal taste, I’d imagine none of us will struggle to enjoy both.
Visit the official KaySax channel at YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@olukayodeawe13
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