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Artist: Kissing Cousins
Label: Velvet Blue Music
Time: 4 tracks/17:15
Right from the opening moments of the new EP by Kissing Cousins, you know that you’re in for something different. Instead of trying to suck the listener in with a hooky, edgy pop song, the Cousins introduce the project with the moody, somewhat dark “Weigh the Options,” with its slow pace and string quartet setting (strings arranged and performed by producer Todd Spitzer). There’s a schizophrenic feeling to the track, juxtaposing the stirring strings with a bleak, haltingly-plucked electric bass, all under a fragile, tentative vocal. This haunting track is followed by its diametric opposite: the punk-influenced “One Eyed Woman,” which rocks with authority and energy, complete with a rowdy, distorted vocal.
Did I forget to mention that this is more-or-less a ‘girl band?’ Forget your pre-conceived images of youth-group friendly debutants singing cheery songs of faith and encouragement – this is definitely more angst-ridden stuff, bordering on the dark side. Thankfully, Kissing Cousins doesn’t sound like any particular ‘other’ band, and even manages to blur the lines of specific musical genres. The sound of ep3 is fresh, but raw – visceral enough for the pain and anger of failed relationships and frustrated love to come through. “Silhouettes,” the third track, is performed live by the band, and shows that these girls certainly have a dramatic performance ambiance: haunting, dirge-like, but totally engaging. The ep also features this song in video form – a decidedly creepy vignette that will leave you looking twice at everything in your house or apartment the next time you come home – especially if you just broke up with someone – you’ll understand when you see the video…
“Take From Me,” closes the project featuring a vocal and piano duet that is vulnerable, somber and introspective, and has much in common with Over The Rhine. There’s a genuine vulnerability about the vocal delivery and the lyric, which is a prayer for salvation and deliverance: an admission of powerlessness to change and forgive me ‘for what I am’ (this will no-doubt spark some debate….). The song is maybe the only ‘spiritually-charged’ set of words on the disc, if you’re looking for any clues to a Christian orientation, by the way.
Ep3 manages to surprise at every turn, offering four decidedly different tracks, ranging from raw rock to tender and introspective. These women whisper and wail, and are effective at both. Musically, these songs, while not complex, manage to surprise on many levels, and manage to even give the occasional flute and viola a rock edge. Nothing fancy here – no slick production, no aural tricks, and no glossy electronics …just some raw, visceral emotion.
The Kissing Cousins are: Heather, Beth, Rhea, and Kara.
By Bert Saraco (www.myspace.com/expressimage expressimagephoto.tripod.com )
stripped-down basic TOCKS