Post-Britpop Finally Rears Its Head
A powerful smash of drums and then The Kayas dive straight into a song filled with heart-wrenching melancholy. 'I Have Been Waiting' points you in the direction The Stone Roses and Oasis have been walking for years, emphasised by the fact that the single was recorded in The Sawmill studio in Cornwall, famous for being the recording birth place of 'Definitely Maybe' and 'Fool's Gold'. You could even say that The Kayas are the first truly post-Britpop band. The first thing that tipped me off to this was the moment I took the CD out of its cardboard slip-pack and saw the Union Jack printed on the CD's label, frayed, distorted and superimposed over the band's name. It's certainly a powerful image and a portent of the music to come. So, take a step with me into the bleak future of a dystopian Britain and let's listen to The Kayas single together. As I mentioned, lead track 'I Have Been Waiting' is powerful and melancholic. Ad Edwards (vocals/guitar) and Duane Williams (guitar) keep a steady tune which, through its six note simplicity, thunders its point home. Added to this, Ad's beautifully whiney and overtly Britpop vocals wax and wane through a landscape filled with roaring bass from Philie Jones and an enjoyable abuse of drums by Tomos Jarvis.
The song only lasts around the two minute mark but it's one of those songs that'll make you keep hitting the replay button until you've had more than your fill. Then comes The Kayas' b-side, 'Gotta Get Out,' a little bit longer at three minutes forty seconds but no less enjoyable than 'I Have Been Waiting'. 'Gotta Get Out' is the catchier of the two songs by a long shot, mixing the poppy feel of someone like Oasis with the complexity and nuance of British Ska legends Madness.
Overall, this single release by The Kayas is a good, solid sign of things to come. The band was due to finish recording their debut album in June at The Sawmill so fingers crossed that the rest of the album is as good as these two songs, eh?