Kelly 8 - The Union
Kelly 8 return after a small break from the industry with a new album ‘The Union’.
There is absolutely nothing that catches your attention with this release. The music is all good and well but there is nothing to make you crack a smile, shed a tear or even give a simple “huh” and a shake of the head or shrug of the shoulders. Musically the band deliver songs that show some distinguishing pop moments, certainly more than a few rock parts and some elements of grunge rock, which is more noticeable on ‘Spit it Out’. This song in particular is what only can be described as one large headache. Female vocalist Pia Hogberg screaming and screeching the lyrics while a drum pounds away in the background is not very entertaining. She is unable to maintain my attention for this song as she strains to put on a tough exterior, which fails helplessly.
There are only a few instances where the vocals actually sound quite content, these include ‘All Defences Fail’ and ‘Some Kind of Wall’. The very few moments where the harmonies develop and kick up a notch are probably the best vocals to be heard; it is just a shame they are not heard more often as this would have really made the release more enjoyable.
Taken as a whole the album shows a lot of potential musically. There are some upbeat tunes as well as the odd darker natured ones. But it is the vocals that keep it pinned down and unable to prosper. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes when it comes to music and just because a woman screeching doesn’t float my boat, doesn’t mean it won’t be your cup of tea.