Miss Kenichi‘s third album, The Trail, is one that should be reserved for those times when you can actually spare the time to sit, listen and enjoy it properly, with no distractions; your favourite armchair, a chilled glass of white wine and a crackling log-fire. ‘Tale of Two Rivers’ opens with a siren-like intro quickly giving way to deep, rich, warm vocals with an abundance of soul, giving the impression of a dream-like image, like those painted by William Blake, but instead of a childlike vision, these are painted with skill, precision and intent.
The album has an ominous feel to it, and you can sense it in every track. Subtly stunning, each and every track creeps up on you, and has you hooked before you even realise it. Where an artist such as Lana Del Rey comes across as a little contrived albeit a good singer, Miss Kenichi, however, has real depth and a definite sense of self; there’s doesn’t seem to be anything contrived to her at all – just honest, glistening talent.
‘Bobby Bacala’ has a Carpenters-esque thread, woven into seriously haunting and ethereal, but oh-so-simple melodies. Stand-out track, ‘The Ghost’, is something a little different from what you’ll come to to expect of The Trail so far. Picking up the tempo a touch in the strong and steady rhythm, ‘The Ghost’ twists and turns, leaving you a little lost in places, but it comes back stronger towards the end, snapping you back to some kind of reality, in the dreamlike soundscape Miss Kenichi has so skilfully and beautifully crafted. Every listen of the album shares something new with you, revealing another side to itself, and it only gets better.
[Rating:5]
Release date: 20th October 2014
Website: www.misskenichi.com
