The brittle, delicate arpeggiated piano of ‘Grounded’, the first track off Philadelphia’s Idle Kyle‘s EP “Twisted Attention”, serves notice that there is something quite unique ahead. It is a track that flirts with jazz tropes – time signature changes, delicate and subtle layers that change direction and shuffles and grooves. Yet somewhat antithetically, the song has a muscular indie sensibility with singer and multi-instrumentalist, Nicole June’s voice and lyrics adding gravitas and melancholy.
Second track, “Twisted Attention”, is underpinned by a louche funky bass that is so cool, it’s supine. This track, while encompassing similar tempo changes, is less jazz and more indie blues style but maintains an entrancing musical delicacy and subtlety.
The EP indicates a band that is not afraid of experimentation, of subverting expectations and yet neither is Idle Kyle scared of injecting an element of pop – witness track three “Square One” that perhaps recalls British Northern Soul sound or ALTS (the new single) with its enigmatic smooth aura and the vocal interplay:
Self described as ’21st Century Blues’, it is hard to adequately label Idle Kyle but nonetheless the EP is a refreshing summer breeze that stands out for its undoubted eccentricity and sense of unhindered creativity.It’s Radiohead meeting Norah Jones.
The band consists of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Nicole June, drummer and engineer Sebastian Goodridge, and bassist Jesse Wisch. You can catch them throughout January and February at various venues on the East Coast of the US, including an EP launch on 18 January at Forest and Main Brewing Company in Ambler, Pennsylvania. Full details here.
The EP will be available from 18 January and you can preorder it here. It’s a delicious change of pace.
