I first met the guys in Kale when I got the opportunity to interview them back in March. At the time, they were a band with a handful of singles and an obscene amount of shows under their belt—over a hundred in the last two years alone. I found some of their live footage and knew immediately they had a great EP in them. So began the wait; sooner or later, I knew I would get that EP; I just had to be patient. Finally, seven months later, it has arrived. I’ll be the first to tell you that the wait was well worth it; “Kale” blew me away.
“Kale” is a nostalgic trip to the synth-laden electronic rock scene of the early 2000s. It is a heavily synth-based record, which is made all the better by the use of vintage equipment during recording. There is a certain warmth to an analog synth that modern DAW software can’t replicate. Much like the difference between vinyl and streaming, there is a fullness to the antiquated way of doing things that the modern ways won’t ever be able to replicate. This adds to the bright, somewhat pop-like sound of the EP, compounding into something bouncy that takes the weight off your shoulders and leaves a smile on your face.
Jam bands are notoriously terrible at making studio albums. The rigid environment of the studio that insists upon getting the perfect take strangles the spirit that makes jam bands enjoyable. It’s all about the spontaneity; you don’t know where they’re going to go, and most of the time, they don't either. It’s a group of amazing musicians taking turns leading the band, creating a living, breathing organism out of their music. To try to make a studio EP out of that is to slaughter it, taxidermy it, and try to claim it’s the same thing. False advertising, man. Kale seems to be one of the only exceptions to this. These songs don’t sound flat; they’re alive. They're adrenaline-filled things that shake you up and tell you that you’re going to dance.
This EP is particularly fascinating because it’s multifaceted. On the one hand, I could totally party to it. It would get a bar full of liquored-up freaks moving faster than any 2010s club anthem. On the other hand, there is something sickeningly sentimental about “Kale.” When I focus in on the music, I am immediately hit with visions of the summer days of my youth spent climbing sprawling sand dunes and swimming in the polluted water of Lake Michigan. It’s a tender, enriching feeling like when you suddenly catch the scent of your childhood home on the wind, only for it to vanish in an instant. It’s an eight-track trip to the memories of long past days tucked away deep in your subconscious.
“Kale” has exceeded my expectations. This EP is everything that I loved about their first few singles kicked up to ten. They are quickly establishing themselves as frontrunners of the jamtronica genre. Their jams are tasty, and their songwriting is unparalleled. Cut out some time today to sit down and listen to “Kale.” You’ll be hooked before you get to the second track.
