Kiss Me Deadly

The band’s name is Kiss Me Deadly, and they want you to dance. Now that I have only about three people left reading this review, I shall continue. Having the word kiss and any combination of death, dying, dead, or deadly in a name is already two strikes, but luckily for this band they have some truly positive qualities that help to counter the poor choice in band name.

Amoureux Cosmiques is the name, and light, danceable pop tunes are the game.

There are sure to be some winners in this game, as through only four songs and about 20 minutes of music, the male and female vocalists that Kiss Me Deadly trade on and off work very well against each other. Both carry a very low, subdued, almost whisper of a vocal style, seemingly floating a layer above the music that backs it. The result of the two vocalists working hand in hand is the intriguing, and even haunting effects portrayed on the EP’s closer, “Groove.” What starts out as a fairly brisk pace becomes slower as things wane on, with guitarist and vocalist Adam Poulin’s wistful style complimenting bassist and vocalist Emily Frazier in a truly unique way. The intricacies are there if you just look hard enough, and it’s definitely worth the trouble.

Poulin gets ample time on “Pop” to show his stuff, and his low, melancholy baritone is surprisingly engaging. Rather than coming off as being too whiny, or too overdone, he perfectly fits the mood as the vocals sway over the rhythmically pulsing drum patterns. Where the band runs into trouble are the two opening tracks. Fronted by Frazier, they seem a lot more full of life, and more vibrant, but they’re sorely lacking the honesty that make “Pop” and “Ghost” succeed.

Regardless, as a whole, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about Kiss Me Deadly. They do maintain a danceable quality, and not the obnoxious type either; it’s just genuinely fun. It’s obvious however, in a more serious, low-tempo setting the band is really given opportunity to do great things. When both Poulin and Frazier sing, that’s when the band really spreads their wings. That’s the dynamic that shines the brightest for them, and that’s what they need to stick with. Each has a compelling voice in their own right, but the combination does more for them than any solo effort.

Not bad at all, but could have been more.