UPDATE – ok so when I wrote the review below, thanks to Spotify (and I believe that Apple Music and other streaming sites do the same) I thought it was the actual EP. But no, that is just how streaming services titled it. Incidentally, I have not edited my initial review below, so things like the EP title are not right, although the post title has been amended to show the EP’s real title, ‘You Can Reach Me If You Try’, which is out on 10th May. The picture above has also been swapped from the original post! Anyway, this means that I have some good news and bad news for you. Which do you want first, the good or the bad? The bad news first you say? OK then. The bad news is that at the moment you only have four great songs available from Kindelan’s upcoming EP. But the incredible good news is that when the EP hits the streets on 10th May it will include three more fabulous tunes from Kindelan. I am quite excited by this, so much so that I plan to review the additional three songs as part two of my EP review in the next few weeks! Is that OK with you dear reader?
Kindelan recently completed the release of her EP ‘Can’t Sleep’ with the release of the title track. It contains four gorgeous, blissed-out 21st-century R&B tracks. We have already reviewed two of the tracks here at Mayhem Towers when they were released as singles. Those two songs were “The Other Side” and “Feast“. I said that “The Other Side” is a great song, with both soulful and ethereal vocals and reminiscent of what the offspring of Nina Simone and Minnie Riperton might have sounded like toward the end. The tune has some sublime jazzy and folky twists and turns. The band is really tight and the production is perfect. I can imagine Solange doing a great cover of this song. The tune deals with the perennial issue many of us encounter in believing that the grass is greener on the other side. The lyrics are deep and I suspect that my interpretation of those words may be different from other people’s, but that for me is what makes a great song. I love the lines “We need the green, tell me why it always feels out of reach. I can see the other side one day I swear I’ll go there when I have the time“. I have previously compared Laura’s talent to that of Jeff Buckley and while I stand by that for some elements of “Feast” I sense more of Kate Bush here, from around ‘The Sensual World’ period. In fact, lyrically it made me think of the title track of that aforementioned Kate Bush album. When I originally reviewed the tune back in 2021 I said that it was sultry, moody, and jazzy and the guitar work is chilled and even eerie at times. That is still how I feel about the song, which Kindelan recently referred to as an unintentionally saucy song during her live set at the Welcome To The North showcase put together by BBC Radio York, Jericho Keys, and Young Thugs Studio.
“Hazel Frustration” is perhaps my favourite track from this collection, at least today. Laura’s voice is sublime and rhythmically it has elements of Beyonce in her softer songs. The production of this tune, particularly the multi-part harmonies and the drums is set perfectly to underpin that delightful and fresh vocal. The whole EP was produced by Ed Allen and Laura Kindelan. The wonderfully produced video for “Hazel Frustration” was co-directed and edited by Nathan Luke, one of the most talented videographers I know. Check out the video below. The EP’s title track evokes Kendrick Lamar and has smoky late-night jazz vibes throughout. Laura’s voice is at its most soulful here even with some relatively dark lyrics. The band comes together perfectly here as they build the noise to a crescendo and then take it down to softer tones before getting loud again. The chorale-style backing vocals elevate the song to something that Brian Wilson would have been very proud of. I have compared Kindelan to many great artists in this review, but she is not a simple facsimile of any of them. She is an obscenely talented artist who soaks up influences like a sponge before drawing out just the magical drops of water that enhance her unique style and delivery. If you are not a fan of Kindelan yet, you will be after you have listened to this EP. Click here to find the EP on Bandcamp, it can also be found on all major streaming sites.
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