Kissimmee first came to my attention when I found myself in the possession of their latest record. They're a band who seem determined to be heard, with their heavy guitars and big pop choruses. You can hear the effort that has been put into their songs. A feel good sound that hits hard. A beautiful fusion of 80's style guitar with the pop/rock song structure you find in modern music, add a splash of refreshing sounding female vocals and you get Kissimmee. All in all a Robust, enjoyable sound with a fresh-cut tone.
This City
Full of distorted guitars but nothing too hard, which in turn gives the track a very warm yet 'we have attitude' feel to it. It's easily noticeable to hear the 80's influence thrown into this song. The vocals are very interesting, you'd expect a hard-hitting male vocal to match the distorted guitars, but when I heard the female vocalist, it was a pleasant surprise, and not just that but she's good! They remind me of a mix between Hayley Williams and our very own Sophie Ellis Bexter. Personally, I've never heard those vocals with that genre before, but hell it works! very distinctive and a refreshing combination. Before I knew it I was listening to the chorus, which is a very strong chord progression, giving a defined and robustness to the song. Instantly I could imagine listening to this on a scorching summers day with a drink in hand. A very feel good summer song, which is getting added to my play list as soon as I've finished this review! the lyrics in the song are strong, although have some repetition in the song. Not necessarily a bad thing, as too many lyrics can spoil a piece I believe, and by repeating lyrics, chances of hooking them into the heads of listeners are increased.
The Cure
Instantly I heard the guitar harmonies complimenting the main guitar riff. I loved it! and had a good feeling about the song. The vocals in this are awesome, they show off the range of the singer. Then wow! is that a key change in the chorus? A dying art in recent songs, which I am eager to hear a comeback of. It goes to show a decent understanding and grasp of music theory knowledge as it's not the typical 'Westlife key change' either. Massive kudos for that. A brilliantly thought out chorus with some great lyrics thrown in there. 'Angels suited in armour will never defeat your demons, it's gonna get tough to fight for the cure that you want', killer lyric right there! Then came the guitar solo, which is of a decent length. Perfectly written and great to hear, as I think guitar solos are another dying art in modern music. The song ends with a lovely bit of piano playing out the piece with the melody. Personally, I would of liked to hear more of this incorporated into the song, as I think it would have gave it more depth, but maybe that's because I am a Pianist (no pun intended!) ha!
Overall the CD is a fair reflection of the bands intent. To rock the socks off their audience with their heavy guitar and power pop choruses. Kissimmee are a band with huge potential and if these two songs are anything to go by, then I can't wait to hear more. I look forward to hearing more from the band in the near future.
