Album Review: Kyla La Grange – Cut Your Teeth
3 min read
Kyla La Grange is a singer songwriter from England, who released her debut album Ashes in 2012. Often compared to Florence Welch, Ashes features dark folk songs about love and the human condition. La Grange has often stated that she is an introverted person and writes songs to deal with the emotions in her head. However many people have connected with La Grange’s work, as she soon amassed an abundance of fans who shared her love of this dark mystery of music.
Cut Your Teeth is miles away from previous album Ashes, in terms of its sound. Cut Your Teeth focuses on a brighter and bolder musical shift towards electronic pop for La Grange; whilst for many artists this could go horribly wrong, it could not have gone much better for this singer. She describes her new style as ‘spartan pop that blends together both organic and electronic sounds, with guitar, bass and drums as well as synthesisers and various keyboards’. This produces a sound that can be reminiscent of 80s classics at times, and is wholly unique to La Grange.
The title track Cut Your Teeth really shows what this new musical direction is all about, with a unique take on electronic pop, an intriguing melody, exquisite lyrics and amazing vocals that are all balanced perfectly to create a stunning single. Cannibals is an intensely dark song where synth beats and electronic keyboards really take centre stage, with the last minute or so of the song being instumental. The resounding hospital-like ‘beeps’ at the end are the icing on the cake to this eerie tune.
A highlight on Cut Your Teeth is White Doves. With a synthesised xylophone bringing in the introduction, this song is one of the more upbeat on the album; this is a tad ironic considering the grim nature of the lyrics. However, this contrast works beautifully with the light electronic beat, and the percussive foundations of the melody really add an extra layer to this astounding song. Second single from the album, The Knife, takes a surprisingly reagge/electronic feel. This sounds like a combination that shouldn’t work, but somehow it finds a way. The Knife features some of my favourite lyrics from Cut Your Teeth, with bold imagery in every line.
I Don’t Hate You and Never That Young are the two weaker tracks of this album. I Don’t Hate You does nothing to showcase La Grange’s fantastic vocals, and Never That Young has a weak, almost unappealing melody. But these downfalls are saved by the likes of Fly, an intensely dramatic song about bullying and I’ll Call For You, which has a mesmerising melody that sounds of a rippling effect in water.
Whilst many artists may be committing musical suicide by taking their music in a completely different direction, Kyla La Grange’s music has reached new heights. This new spartan electronic pop still retains her deep, soulful lyrics, but becomes a unique and individual sound exclusively for La Grange, one that is sure to cement her place in the music scene.
