The Kiss That Took A Trip

You’ve read the story: it’s pretty hard to know what to expect from Worst Case Scenarios, so entering this highly secretive first listen for the musical press is, no two ways about it, an exciting experience.

The only cues to date are the words from the man himself: “I’m ecstatic about it. In the beginning, I was very concerned with the goal of making an album that truly sounded like an album. A record with sections, evolving sound, but cohesive and with an unmistakable feeling. I think I made it. [...] It’s not heavier or rockier, it’s just more emphatic. I’ve added guitars and drums that run the gamut from simple autopilot grooves to awkward inadequate pounding. It takes more time for the music to deliver quietness. [...] I would say it’s elevator rock.”

The first impression is purely technical: this album sounds better. Period. Still short of sharpness and clarity, but it sounds better.

The record opens with a harmless intro. Its straight message (via field recording) makes up for its conventional nature, something you don’t have to worry about with track two. ‘Yours is a fitting name’ revolves around a bouncy and playful melodic synth pattern, mixing electronica and post-rock with ease. Imagine a less dramatic ‘Binary soul’, more suitable for cocktail drinking and aimed for catchiness. Things slow down to classic guitar post-rock with ‘This is the furthest I’ve been from you’. Brushed drums and three intertwining guitars shaping a mutating theme that recalls Explosions In The Sky playing for elderly people. It sounds shiny, impeccable, shamelessly claiming the credit for the (maybe) last drop of the post-rock drying lemon. ‘Mary Ward’ and ‘Hi, America!’ are the closest The Kiss has been to making a traditional rock song. The first is a long midtempo that borders melancholy without never really stepping on it, and it’s the first sonic proof of some influences Trello has quoted in the past (hint: A-Ha). The latter is the most anthemic song The Kiss has produced, so its first single status is no wonder. Probably not the best by The Kiss That Took A Trip, but its nonrelenting drums and sharp guitar tones echo the late 80s, U2 and distorted Depeche Mode, so the doubt crosses your brain.

With ‘Google the one you love’, a slight change in direction is noted. Whereas the previous four songs (although pretty diferent from one another) share tricks and spirit, ‘Google’ is admirable in its defiant structure (continuous start-stop) and weird choice of instrumentation. Using celesta, organ and vibraphones, the song manages to still rock and be more than the sum of its parts. There’s even room for short organ soloing and a synthetic voice that debuts the first TKTTAT lyrics ever. More descriptive than anything, and not pretending deepness of any kind, the words use the music as a background. If there’s a surprise in this album, it’s gotta be this. To close the imaginary A-side of WCS, a song many could misinterpret as filler, ‘One trick pony’, reveals itself falsely quiet and, along ‘Google’, they are the first two songs using repetition in true TKTTAT fashion.

A reworking of the intro comes next, giving way to the epic-sandwiched second half. ‘City in decay’ is an elephant of slow moving downtuned guitar figures and martial drums, with few deflections from the main theme, that releases tension only towards the end through solo strings and gentle guitars. It reminded colleagues around me of something from Godspeed’s first album, only way more direct. The next songs try to sound vulnerable and allow the listener some relief. ‘Tha ahteists lament’ is the first actual ballad, all about pianos and string sections, self-corrupting with dissonance the purity and accesibility of an universal tune. ‘Tiananmen’ is a low profile song, minimalistic and playing with strange chords, but sweeping strings make glowing appearances too. The triad ends with ‘Demerol’, the most electronic and chillout we’ve heard from this musical project. The song seems to have not much going on in it, but it’s all a masquerade.

What takes us to the huge finale in a state of unreadiness. ‘Who goes there…?’ starts ominous and almost sexy. As instruments make their appearance, the song raises the menace bar and, about 3:00 mutates itself all of a sudden, looking for beauty instead. This second build-up explodes at the middle of the tune, giving way to an agonic third build up that finds its end in the only possible way: collapsing under its own weight in  white noise cacophony. After almost 11 minutes, this monster feels like an hybrid of Massive Attack and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and the most logical conclusion possible to the record. It sounds like a summary of it, too. It has all the ingredients of Worst Case Scenarios put together. And, maybe going too far, it sounds career-defining, even if we’re talking about a debut album. I have the feeling that this song will remain a measure stick for this man for years to come.

All in all, well over an hour long, the thing never drags (OK, maybe a couple of times, “One trick pony” and “City in decay”), and you couldn’t tell the running time. For those liking TKTTAT as a niche of synthy repose, this album would be a serious test. For those finding TKTTAT too “sad”, this might be the answer to their prayers. But, as always, if you like TKTTAT because it’s consistently changing but being truth to its identity, you know what you’ve got to do.