Like all YouTube sensations of the early 2010s, Karmin, the duo most known for their covers of Hip-Hop hits, had a bit of trouble getting a full-length record in stores. Their voices were a little too en pointe for today's pop charts, Amy Heidemann's ludicrous raps lacked the flow of Nicki Minaj or Lil' Kim, and while their early singles, "Brokenhearted" in particular, were just as shallow and as teeny-bopper as One Direction or Justin Bieber, they lacked the straight-up cuteness of either act; the easy-to-market image that the millennial generation eats right up. Not helping was the largely arrogant EP "Hello", which proves beyond a doubt that these two are talented --both vocally and musically-- but they simply didn't seem to be having any fun with the whole enterprise, as if it was all just going through the motions in order to secure their rightful place at the top of today's artists. That sense of entitlement is somewhat dissuaded with their official debut, "Pulses", and since they now have more tracks to utilize, they are able to cover more ground and liberally make homage to Shakira with their fusion of world-beats and modern club trends. All of this would seem to make Karmin's debut a step up from where they started, and that certainly is true, but it's also very misleading. Aside, from those few, minor changes, their music really hasn't improved that much at all. They still make cold, crass, clinical Hip-Hop/Pop, that's made by A-list producers, but is sung by two snobs whose attitude gets in the way of their impressive vocal chops. This, and the fact that neither Amy Heidemann or Nick Noonan have much on-record charisma, turns "Pulses" into a rather bland wash of sound. Since the beats are monotonous and the songs are forgettable, Karmin actually succeed in making the lowest kind of pop music, the kind that's all good in theory, but is grating in practice. And you don't have to look any further than lead single "Acapella" to prove this true, not because it exemplifies the worst song on the track-list: because it's actually the best. It's far catchier, insistent, and ingratiating than any other song here, even with Heidemann's feeble attempt at falsetto. It may raise an unwanted eyebrow, but that's why it pulls you in: crass or not, at least it grabs your attention with its content, not its ambition. That can't be said for the rest of "Pulses", because Karmin always assaults with raps and beats, trying desperately to prove that they're a serious, accomplished band, but their assertions go largely un-noticed with the lack of interesting material. You can't blame them for trying so awfully hard, but considering that their ultimate statement through "Pulses" is that this is an earth-shattering, top-notch pop record: in reality it all just sounds...meh.
Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. Geronimo 2. Pulses 3. Acapella
4. I Want it All 5.
Night Like This 6. Neon Love
7. Drifter 8.
Tidal Wave 9. Gasoline
10. Puppet 11.
Hate to Love You 12. Try Me On
13. What’s in it for Me?
No comments:
Post a Comment