Kick To Kill - Dreams

Single review by KevW

Glasgow's Kick To Kill have sporadically been releasing singles since 2007, gathering many plaudits along the way. We picked up the story in 2011 with 'Black Kisses' and then 'Avalanche' six months later in 2012. Not only did the quartet have the songs, but they made sure they brought the best out of them in the studio by enlisting Iain Cook from celebrated electronic band CHVRCHES to co-produce, and his style neatly brought an authentic edge to their post-punk sound; it was always a genre that looked outside of the conventional rock band format, and so it continues to do so (or the good bands do at least). Given the surge in interest in that particular style that was happening around then, it seemed like Kick To Kill were destined to ride the crest of the wave of the revival. But then it all went a bit quiet...

Could it be that Kick To Kill have missed the boat? Well, firstly, even with superlatives being hurled at them from all corners of the music word (including by us), the band never had an overly commercial sound and never appeared willing to compromise their vision and clean things up to make them chart-shaped. They've always been a group who seem determined to do it their way, and such bands do achieve great success without storming the top ten. A glance at some of the quality acts they've supported backs this up: The Fall, A Place To Bury Strangers, John Cooper Clarke... all cult heroes with big followings. So hopping on a passing bandwagon was likely never part of the plan. In new single 'Dreams', Kick To Kill simply affirm what we already know. This is more prime post-punk with sharp electronic beats and a dark underbelly. The obvious comparisons have been thrown at them, but really nothing is a direct match, and this is another factor that makes them so appealing; there's a familiarity here but also an individuality. It's no throw-back either, it sounds totally current. So these guys haven't missed any boats, because that's not what they're here for. They're here to do their thing as, when and how they like, and this is what continues to make them an interesting proposition.



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