The first single to be taken from Amsterdam’s The Klittens’ debut EP, ‘Canned Air‘ captures the band’s self-described air of “happy songs and sad sentiments” perfectly.It eases you in with light strings playing simple lines, before they layer gradually over each other and, as the song goes on, build into a rich platform for the heart and emotion in this song. The strings intertwine around each other and the vocals come in soft.
The comparatively low-energy vocal lines keep you grounded as the music beneath swells, until eventually you get to the cathartic, explosive solo. The raw energy of it screams out of every instrument, before finally winding down into a calmer, more relaxed conclusion. The lyrics are simple, but convincing – there’s power in them, coaxing you into that state of giving in, and the gentle delivery makes the invitation incredibly tempting.
That softness of the vocals, juxtaposed against the surging music underneath, captures the sensation of overwhelming emotions so beautifully. The music takes on the role of the feelings themselves, creeping in gradually until they are so loud and overwhelming that they drown out the rest of the world, taking over almost without you noticing. The lyrics, meanwhile, remain muted, as if they remain just out of reach. This combination makes for a song that encapsulates the all-consuming feeling of emotions that roar and churn beneath a quiet, introverted surface.
‘Canned Air’ is accompanied by a weird and fantastic music video. The Klittens wander around beaches and forests wearing colourful knitted balaclavas before they find a chest in the woods which contains a beating heart. It doesn’t offer an explanation as to why this is happening, but you can’t help but be drawn into their mysterious world.
With this release, The Klittens have made a statement about the kind of music they’re going to put out going forward and it promises to be unusual and enticing in a very exciting way.
Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt
Get In Her Ears 