Go on, Give Us A Kissey.... X X X

Does R'n'B have to conform to the mainstream to be any good? Is mainstream R'n'B any good? Does it have to be different to gain any kind of credibility among it's 'deeper' fans? Do you have to defy convention before anybody will give a damn regardless? I've never been someone to dismiss something at the 1st listen. I may like something at 1st, only to despise it later on. I may be indifferent at 1st and still be exactly the same a few goes later. Similarly, I may not be overly enthused by what i'm hearing. Only to sing it's praises when i open my mind as well as my ears, as was the case with Plethora. This is not what some would call 'straight' or 'regular' R'n'B & nor is it trying to be. There's no denying that all the usual influences can be heard. Hip Hop, Jazz, Classic Soul & even a hint of Nu Jazz are all sprinkled throughout the album but it's the overall sound of the album that demands a real listen. Kissey's (I love that name) vocal style is such that her voice is like the main instrument of the songs rather than a main vocal. If I were to make any comparisons I would call Kissey a female Dudley Perkins (a la A Li'l Light) or Georgia Anne Muldrow. Then there is the music itself. The longest track on the album is just shy of 4 minutes long & most of the track are in or around 3 minutes. Yet being this short none of them sound rushed or forced & each song flows effortlessly to the next. You won't hear many conventional soul loops for samples & only the intro & 2 other tracks have what i would call more accessible drum patterns. The 1st full song on the album, Beam Me Up, With it's simple yet spacey keyboard loop & tone testing hi hat & claps, has no kick what so ever. Then comes the laid back jazzy pianos of Caos. You&I, 1 of the more accessible uptempo beats uses nothing more than a choppy keyboard loop with an under the radar b line for company. Entrapped is probably the song that needs the most of the listeners time, which is not to say that it isn't a decent track though. Hit Me With Medication is next & my fav track on the album. A Jazzy Sax loop with a simple old school drum break make for a nice head nod. Other standouts are 6AM, Work It Out, the out there horns of Syntax Error & With You, which you can d/l below as a taster. You need to go into this album with no blinkers on & don't expect any warbling vocals. But there is a sweetness & sincerity to Kissey's voice. Add the not too straight laced sound & Plethora is well worth a go.

p e a c e

Kissey Asplund - With You