Kamikaze Girls - Seafoam
by Steve Kinrade
published: 12 / 8 / 2017
Label:
Big Scary Monsters
Format: LP
intro
Enthralling debut album from existential and angst-torn Leeds-based duo, the Kamikaze Girls
'Seafoam' is one of those albums that instantly makes an agreeable impression with the listener, and then with repeated listenings continues to grow, until it becomes an essential part of one musical playlist, the soundtrack to life’s high and lows. It is an emotional set of compositions, with Lucinda Livingstone and Conor Dawson capturing an existential angst within their lyrics and music. Production wise it is certainly mostly full on – check out the frenetic 'Berlin' with its fantastic opening lyrical gambit “I think I’m having a heart-attack” or the fuck you attitude of the wonderful 'KG Goes to the Pub'. The Kamikaze Girls, however, also provide some moments of mellow musicality, good examples of this being 'Light and Sounds' and 'Good for Nothing'. At their best moments the Kamikaze Girls song writing craft do remind these ears of the similar skills and song writing artistry of the main man himself, Bob Mould. Yeah, being loud and heavy, but melodic, 'Seafoam' is crammed packed with songs that resonate. This is an album that demands to be listened to again and again, and with each new sitting another insight is revealed. We catch glimpses of mental health issues, of self-awareness, relationships and the pressures of modern life. All which leads us to a growing empathy for this artistic discourse. Dense and rich, but always honest, its compositional themes explore the emotional lives of all of us. 'Seafoam' marks the point at which Kamikaze Girls step up to the next level, and possibly a few levels beyond that. It is a remarkable achievement, and manages to catch the zeitgeist. It gives a voice and musical soundtrack to how so many of us are feeling in these most uncertain of times. Livingstone sings in 'Berli, “I know now that I wasn’t cut out for this”. How wrong she is.
Track Listing:-
1 One Young Man2 Berlin
3 Teenage Feelings
4 Good for Nothing
5 KG Go to the Pub
6 Lights & Sounds
7 Deathcap
8 Weaker Than
9 Unhealthy Love
10 I Don't Want to Be Sad Forever
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