As someone who was born at the height of the shoegaze movement, it's perfectly understandable that I was completely unaware of it for a long time. Shoegaze was only in the popular consciousness for a brief time, but when I discovered it years after its heyday, it had my attention. Its aesthetic of walls of guitar distortion, unintelligible vocal melodies, and strangely relaxing mood instantly drew me in, with My Bloody Valentine and Lush quickly becoming my favorites in the genre. What does this have to do with Kigo, you might ask? Well, Kigo, project of Brsibaine musician Dwanye Pearce, is one of a handful of bands looking to bring back the shoegaze sound, and definitely makes a great case for it.
Kigo had an ultra productive 2013, with multiple EPs culminating in the shoegaze epic So Lost Now. Pearce looks to further this string of releases with Close (Enough To Kiss), a new 4 song EP, which, along with his other releases, is name your price on Bandcamp. From the first note, waves of melodic distortion engulf every sense. Shoegaze for me is definitely a headphone only musical experience. The rich sounds and the contours of the vocal melodies have the tendency to put one in a meditative state bordering on trance-like. The vocal effects on Pearce's voice on 'No, Not Ever' add to the vibe. At first, I thought I was hearing things that weren't there, but after a few listens I was right. You hear new things every time you listen. Every little melodic snippet pulled from the sea of distortion is well worth it. This is as much a record to turn off your mind and drift along with as it is a record to listen to intently, delve deep into the mix, and figure out what makes these songs tick. Kigo is definitely in the vintage shoegaze genre, but maybe a little too much. While I love the record and every other Pearce has released, I can't help but feel that he has been treading the same ground Kevin Shields did over 20 years ago. In spite of my feelings on its originality, Close (Enough To Kiss) is a great effort and a must listen for any shoegaze fan looking for some new music.
Kigo had an ultra productive 2013, with multiple EPs culminating in the shoegaze epic So Lost Now. Pearce looks to further this string of releases with Close (Enough To Kiss), a new 4 song EP, which, along with his other releases, is name your price on Bandcamp. From the first note, waves of melodic distortion engulf every sense. Shoegaze for me is definitely a headphone only musical experience. The rich sounds and the contours of the vocal melodies have the tendency to put one in a meditative state bordering on trance-like. The vocal effects on Pearce's voice on 'No, Not Ever' add to the vibe. At first, I thought I was hearing things that weren't there, but after a few listens I was right. You hear new things every time you listen. Every little melodic snippet pulled from the sea of distortion is well worth it. This is as much a record to turn off your mind and drift along with as it is a record to listen to intently, delve deep into the mix, and figure out what makes these songs tick. Kigo is definitely in the vintage shoegaze genre, but maybe a little too much. While I love the record and every other Pearce has released, I can't help but feel that he has been treading the same ground Kevin Shields did over 20 years ago. In spite of my feelings on its originality, Close (Enough To Kiss) is a great effort and a must listen for any shoegaze fan looking for some new music.
Out of a total of five stars, I give this:
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