Poison Moon Records, 2 October 2020
K. Campbell proves to be a songsmith, leaning hard into simple pop rock.
K. Campbell, he of Punkin Pie, Rosa, and Die Emperor Die, finds lots of room for pop rock hooks on Every Little Thing. The musician, from Houston, Texas, nestles a calming whisper-sing voice into lush but unpolished music, churning out two memorable songs that work as nostalgia within the warm production.
The first song and title track, “Every Little Thing” is a gorgeous and clever pop song that wraps all sorts of hooks and memories into two minutes and forty five seconds. Mixing mellow guitar strums with some shards of power chord, the foundations are pretty basic and straightforward. But the guitar lead going into each verse is addictive. That alone would be enough to get me to listen over and over. But the low key vocals pull out great melodies that come across as thoughtful and pensive. And with melancholy lines like “when did this begin to feel overblown and overloaded” and “I didn’t catch your name but I’m disappointed anyway”, this feeling of regretful pop is engaging and doesn’t let go easily. It’s a wonderful song.
“Pretty Pictures”, the second song, follows a similar path. Again, there’s a hushed and melancholy feel to this pop with warm production making it feel timeless. On this one, Campbell throws in some organs, handclaps, and other accompaniments, each adding to the song and hooking the ear in its own way. There’s also a gorgeous mellow guitar lead (I think that’s what it is) that comes in and out a couple of times. I know it’s not the most punk rock thing to say, but it’s positively lovely. As with the opener, Campbell is staring down some somber ideas, seemingly wondering what is left when someone lives through superficial experiences rather than engaging in realities. And while it doesn’t quite stick in my head as hard as “Every Little Thing”, it’s still a really good song.
K. Campbell’s various and previous ventures show a restless streak. But the songs on Every Little Thing demonstrate a willingness to settle into the comfortable confines of pop music. And he does that well. This is my first real experience with his solo stuff and it feels like a right place to start.
Favorite song: “Every Little Thing”
Favorite moment: the guitar lead going into the verses on “Every Little Thing”
Favorite whatever else: I love the warm nostalgic production on this EP, makes it feel outside of time
ryan is a reviewer and news editor for TGEFM. He’s very secretive, he might be an alien.
