Finding a unique voice is difficult with so many artists out there, but 21 year old Kandle Osborne is well on her way to doing just that. Coming from a musical background must have helped (her father/producer is a musician of note in her native Canada), and being exposed to many different sounds and styles has rubbed off on this single from her debut EP. 'Small' is difficult to describe; it's bluesy that's for sure, the swampy guitars as well as her rich, world-weary voice see to that. But it also crosses over into folk and Americana in its structure and fairly basic instrumentation which adds little more than some subtle slide guitar and percussive rattles. Then, just when you think the song is set in its stride, we're gifted a brush with psychedelia for the mid section. It's this simple few bars that make the song, taking it somewhere else and breaking its routine.
She knows where her roots lie too. On the flip is a cover of The Rolling Stones' classic 'Playing With Fire'. It's not often wise to mess around with such revered material, but she doesn't opt for a straight cover. Her take is more soulful, still bluesy but in a thoroughly modern way. It doesn't sound like a trip back in time or a recreation of any particular vibe. Of course it's no match for the original, but nothing would be. However, if any budding musicians out there want to know how to take a classic and rework it successfully they could do worse than take a leaf out of Kandle's book and play to their strengths. Use your own voice, your own sound, but don't mess with the format too much; this way a song will bear your own hallmarks but won't detract from what made it so hallowed in the first place. On both counts, this single is a job well done.
Kandle's website
Stream the EP in full
Buy the EP
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