Violet Orchestra – “The Kid Who Came From Outer Space”

Violet Orchestra – “The Kid Who Came From Outer Space” – Single Review

So many thoughts!

A track like “The Kid Who Came From Outer Space” will definitely get your wheels turning, that I can tell ya.  This is the second track we’ve heard from Violet Orchestra since they burst onto the scene with their colorful sound & single “Lily Pearl” towards the end of last year…and it’s definitely got me wondering about what it is exactly this duo of uber-producer Spiros Maus and the expressive vocals of Sister Nyx are really up to.  Far removed from typical tunes in just about every conceivable way – you’ve gotta wonder what it is that’s driving them to go against the grain so decisively.  It could be as simple as writing songs in a style they enjoy…it could be more of an intentional effort to create something new out there in the world of art & music…and after listening to “The Kid Who Came From Outer Space,” I was even fairly convinced that it might be leading to something even more…like maybe they’re making a musical in the background.  When it comes to a single like this one, the emphasis is equally placed, if not more so, towards the storyline that flows throughout it; personally I’ve got no issues with that, but I can definitely acknowledge it’s not usually what listeners tend to expect.  Words & concepts become the real key in unlocking what “The Kid Who Came From Outer Space” is all about – which isn’t to say that lyrics aren’t important in other songs as well…it’s more like…hmmm…well…you’ll know when you listen – everything about what Violet Orchestra is doing seems like it’s intended to be a part of something even bigger.  Whether or not that’s true is kind of a mystery…I’m just tellin’ ya what it sounds like.

What I love about this song really IS that storyline though, and I suppose given the weight that the words carry in this single, that’s probably a really good thing – but make no mistake, I’m coming at this from a writer’s perspective & kinda can’t help but listen to “The Kid Who Came From Outer Space” in that main gear I have…I wouldn’t expect that everyone out there would hear this tune the way I do.  That being said, if you’ve got half a cent’s worth of imagination and an open mind – I’d be willing to bet you’ll find that this song plays cinematically in your mind as you listen – Violet Orchestra has done an exceptional job with loading this track up with detail in both the music of Maus and lyricism of Nyx; and as a result, “The Kid Who Came From Outer Space” comes out shining through this otherworldly concept with a wonderfully vivid & wildly ambitious design.  Sister Nyx has written her words from the perspective of “an extraterrestrial being visiting Earth for the first time” – and she’s done a fantastic job.  In fact, I’ll prove it to you…try this…before you even push play…close your eyes and imagine what that would be like…imagine YOU are that extraterrestrial being and this is your first visit here…think of the kind of things you’d notice, observe, feel, and connect with – and then listen to “The Kid Who Came From Outer Space” and recognize how brilliantly Nyx has captured what that would be like through the words she’s written.  While the efforts of Maus are certainly never to be ignored – we’ve always known this man to produce stellar results & that remains the case here – at the same time, I think it’s just as important to acknowledge the fact that he’s done all the right things to suit this moment spot-on and really let those words make the impact they should be.  Essentially, they’ve let the music take more of a secondary role when it comes to “The Kid Who Came From Outer Space” – but confidently…like that was the intention all along.  So you end up with a song here, that’s still got a remarkable balance to it overall, but a much more complementary design – you get what I mean?  It’s kind of like recognizing that player on your team has got the hot hand for the night, and you realize the best way to a victory is by helping to facilitate & set up the surroundings for the hot streak to continue.  Rather than try to score all the goals yourself, you start to realize the way to win is to let the other person carry the ball when the moment calls for it, and I feel like that’s really how a track like “The Kid Who Came From Outer Space” ends up coming into existence.  This is a vehicle to help explore the expressive lyricism & style of Sister Nyx within the Violet Orchestra sound, and in truth, I think it worked out incredibly well for a six-minute suite.  There are sooooooooooo many songs out there that reach conceptually…I mean, if we’re being real here, almost every song out there has SOME kind of theme to it…but it’s so much rarer to find a track like “The Kid Who Came From Outer Space” that gets the time the words deserve to tell a story in-full.  It’s because of that time, that space, and the fluid design of how Maus will morph & transition this tune’s music from start to finish and flex his production techniques, textures, and tones the whole distance through, that we get to really focus on those words of Nyx and be captivated by this story she’s so expertly written, and completely understand it as we listen.  What I loved even more about what Violet Orchestra has done overall here, is that they’ve given you the best snapshot view of what our life & planet would look like from the perspective of someone that just got here…you get such an incredible array of emotions that it can’t help but spark your interest.  You’ll experience the joy & wonder…you’ll experience the true pleasures & many curiosities that exist right here on this planet…and you’ll also hear the other side of the coin as well, where all of a sudden you’ll start to hear the fear of recognition creep in…the very sound of someone realizing that all this splendor we’ve both inherited & created here on Earth could go away in a single heartbeat if we don’t take care of it, and value how special everything around us, truly is…and how the horror of what you’d see here on this planet at our worst, would make “The Kid Who Came From Outer Space” wanna go right back to the planet he came from as fast as he could get there.  I might even hitch a ride with him.

“What a lovely world,” right?  Love it.  Songs like this are important in so many ways.

From the deep questions that generate a genuinely enjoyable & thought-provoking experience, to the flexible design of the music that continually supports the expressive, bold, angelic, and graceful vocals & clever words of Nyx, to the smart inclusion of spoken-word sample clips that’ll help further the points they’re looking to make – “The Kid Who Came From Outer Space” has a ton to offer the creative-side of the scene & the art-music realm – and all the while, Violet Orchestra is proudly doing their part to help educate & evolve the masses in the process through audible osmosis.  As to whether or not “The Kid Who Came From Outer Space” is a ‘single,’ or a seriously strong piece of writing – or both – is going to be up to your own interpretation of what that all means to begin with…I can tell ya it’s not a typical tune by any stretch, and in my world, that’s always a good thing.  The writing, execution, and performance really stands out here on this single by Violet Orchestra…I suspect it’s going to be one of those songs that’ll have a specific time & place for when we all choose to reach for it as listeners, but every time we do, it’s guaranteed we’ll get a great reminder of why we loved it then, and still love it on that next spin.

Find out more about Violet Orchestra at their official website at:  http://www.violetorchestra.com

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