Kyle Feerick Music 2018
Light All Around
Milwaukee auteur returns to short form to infuse his songs with many layers of meaning and emotion.
As DJ, this artist knows the strength of EP that can snap a single into multidimensional scope yet not linger too long to snap the listener out of daydream. Which is why, with two full-length albums under his belt, Kyle Feerick has come back to a previously tested format where a few pieces speak volumes – in quiet tones, though.
There’s summery air to “Moving On” whose laid-back, almost caramel-like vocals are set against tight background that mixes bouncy guitars with soulful brass to create a great, arresting effect. Further still, the fairy-tale sonics of the choir-enhanced “Come Down” and the more reflective, if given delicate rock and skank, “Like A King” bear a sweet smell of bluegrass, Lodewijk Broekhuizen’s violin and Sean Williamson’s pedal steel – two staples of Kyle’s sound from two stalwarts of his band – adding to their pop-country aroma. But it’s the synthesizers-laden title track that, high on cosmic vibes, shows the full, difficult-to-fathom depth of Feerick’s féerie.
All of it may seem a tad theatrical, of course, yet, lately, aural spectacles rarely get better than this.
****1/4
