Singer-songwriter Maricelle Wong shares with us her thoughts on fellow singer-songwriters…
Kimbra is definitely somebody that you should know. Clad in body paint and passionately belting out the fragile honesty of the break-up song, the chanteuse shot into the public’s radar after collaborating with Gotye on “Somebody that I used to know”. This colorful Kiwi, already gone platinum in Australia, is definitely the fresh sound to lookout for.
I’d call her music eccentric and unique, and label it as electro-vintage pop. There’s some synthpop, mixed with some spunk and a hint of jazz. Think Florence and the Machine meets Nina Simone and Bjork, with tons of attitude. Kimbra plays with her tones, teasing playfully with coy lyrics, then whisking you away into the soaring chorus.
Kimbra’s album Vows starts off with “Settle Down” which has a catchy upbeat rhythm as she sings ‘boom ba-boom ba’. ‘I wana settle down, baby’s there’s no need to run, i’ll love you well’. Cheeky and freaky at the same time, it’s about the typical housewifey image, which drew her a lot of attention in its controversy of expectation. Her vocal riffs are meticulously vibrant, and her melodies are unpredictable, keeping you on edge for what’s she’s got to show you next.
Her second song “Cameo Lover” croons about the high of falling in love, ‘love is like a silhouette in dreams’, and my favourite song is “Two Way Street” with this great line ‘there’s no conspiracy, behind the way to heist me’, suggesting that love is simple and two-way. Kimbra’s evocative lyrics, provocative themes and her confident sass definitely keeps me mesmerized. “Good Intent” is probably her sexiest song, very cabaret styled, with sly crooning and suave accents, highlighting the intensity with saxophones.
At the end, her album slows down to a floaty calm with “Withdraw” and “Build Ip”, which is about wanting love without the build up, like wanting a relationship without the complications.
(MW)
You can read more of Maricelle’s thoughts at her blog.
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