Kyle & Lisa – Impasse
Kyle & Lisa – “Impasse” – Single Review
At not even 2 minutes and forty seconds long, one might think there might not be a lot to talk about in today’s review…and one would be wrong! A clever single from Kyle & Lisa called “Impasse” that has just dropped onto the net has caught my ear & I’ve been listening on repeat. It’s dark, it’s melodic, and it has nestled itself quaintly within my eardrums never to leave – so I figure it’s only fair that I share my findings with you!
Understand, first of all, that this track lives and exists in the dark-back-alleys of your mind. Makes for an interesting contrast against the brightness of tone in the guitars but the more I listened the more I appreciated the way this whole song came together. The bass and drums communicate in a jazz-lounge rhythm, provided in part by their drum-machine ally A.K.A. “Lester.” Providing a simple but solid base-track serves guitarist Kyle extremely well, allowing him to get truly inventive on his guitar.
Invention and innovation are two tough things to come by, but I think Kyle has done those well with a somewhat simple guitar rhythm absolutely maximized through extreme production. It’s so crisp and crunchy – I just love the way the sound came out. I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure that was going to work for me at first.
Now I just want to hit the amps and boards and twist knobs until I can find a similar sound to use myself!
When I first looked into Kyle & Lisa and had a scan over their pages, I became incredibly interested in hearing what the music would be like. With influences listed like The Cure, Panic! At The Disco and Queens Of The Stone Age listed among others – I figured this single from Kyle & Lisa couldn’t miss for me.
And you know what? I was RIGHT.
But you know what else? This song “Impasse” didn’t remind me of ANY of the bands they listed as influential. So what’s up with that!?!
Listen. I’m not the band so you know I’ll be able to tell it to you straight, but this is what happened. They BORROW and USE little snippets of these inspirations in their music and style but they absolutely did NOT allow themselves to become a copy of those that influenced them the most. And when you think about it – that’s not an easy thing to do. We all like what we like, we all listen to what we want to listen to…to take the music in a different direction, or to have it naturally go there will reveal itself to be a true gift over time as they continue to incorporate influences, grow and adapt but never have to fear the danger of being stuck into a specific style.
Let’s talk about Lisa. Love this voice. She has that same dark/sexy contrast in her voice that Shirley Manson or Poe has. As a composition overall, “Impasse” could be a close relative from the band Curve as well; similar songwriting structure between both bands but with a different result in the texture of sound for each song and each singer.
Lisa brings it all together though. She has a great grasp on what her voice can do and where she fits in best during the song, showing her ability to use the space and her capable songwriting.
Ha! Yeah…I’ll probably get all-kinds of a hard time from my wife about this one, but I’ve just gotta say it on the record – that’s a damn sexy voice Lisa has. Admittedly I felt that way about Shirley Manson and Poe as well…something about that rich, full, low and sexy tone that makes me always come back for more. There’s both an element of danger and sweetness in the style and tone, which makes for a fascinating combination and a true delight for the ears. And if Lisa is the latest to come out and do this as WELL as she is…I might just be able to forget the other two and finally move on….
IF!
IF Lisa and Kyle continue to make more music that is. One track is simply not enough sometimes. I’m very interested to hear where the rest of their music goes and what it will sound like. I’m curious to hear if these influences they’ve listed creep their way into their music over time, or if they’ll continue to on the path set by this latest single “Impasse.”
In any event, this single DOES what it’s SUPPOSED to DO. And by that I mean it’s supposed to get us excited for more music to come. “Impasse” absolutely does and I can’t wait to hear more from Kyle & Lisa in the future.
One track to gain my attention. One track to invade my ears. Just shy of 2 minutes and 40 seconds – ONE TRACK. Mission accomplished Kyle & Lisa – job incredibly well done.
And to the rest of you out there, well, at least those of you outside of the punk genre… NEVER underestimate the impact you can have through your music and let this track from Kyle & Lisa along with this review be that lesson. Sometimes short and sweet is best – keep it tight and within all of your creative control and you can open ears and turn volumes up across the globe.
Your songs don’t have to be 10 minutes long for them to be good, just like my reviews don’t have to contain a million words and descriptions to….be….good…..
….Uh-oh. I better wrap this up! I’ve said too much!
CHECK OUT KYLE & LISA AND THEIR NEW SONG “IMPASSE!” They just hit the Triple-J website in Australia – that’s no joke by any stretch – that’s big news and some great recognition for this band – hopefully a sign of some more excellent things to come or at least serve as the inspiration to continue making more music!
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