Kiss Kiss Bang: ‘Hungry, High & Seeing Things’ EP
KISS KISS BANG
HUNGRY, HIGH & SEEING THINGS EP
Released on February 5, 2021 (Kiss Kiss Bang)
Review:
Hailing from Bowling Green in West Kentucky, Kiss Kiss Bang have been a much lauded live act in that area for a few years now and this four-track EP is their raised fist response to the creative limitations of the past year, recorded of course separately and at the required social distance.
First up is “Solid Gold” which hits the ground running with definitely the solid feel to go alongside the title. The guitar work of Clayton Crowder and the nicely understated harmonies compliment Trevor Smith’s excellent classic rock stylings perfectly. It has all the atmosphere and production sensibilities necessary to fill stadiums in the very near future and my only criticism is that it didn’t seem to know how to end and rather meandered to a full stop, but that’s a minor quibble for a fine song overall.
The EP’s lead single is up next and “High Price (For Peace of Mind)” continues the stuttering aspect with one of those intros where a member of the band discusses his amp or some such nonsense, but once it gets started, it has a real instantaneous feel to it and you can see why it was chosen as the first single. A memorable chorus , superb all round work from the band in general and, apart from a slight dip in quality in the middle, it really did have echoes of Faith No More in parts and I guess that can only be a good thing.
“Easy 2 Love” is next and continues in the similar richly produced big sound with another powerhouse vocal performance from Trevor Smith and quality bass work from Andrew Hopper. It’s a commanding song that doesn’t outstay its welcome and has rich elements of funk mixed with the current hard rock take on the ’70s classic rock stance. The rhythm section of Hopper and drummer Taylor Sanders really drive this song on, aided and abetted by more fine work from Clayton Crowder’s guitar. “Slow Motion” is the perfect end to the release. It tames down things for a fitting end of the gig, lighter waving type finale and is probably my favourite song on here — from admittedly four extremely hard choices.
This EP was a massive but pleasant surprise to me. I’d never heard of the band and had no idea what was to come which, in its own way, is kind of exciting. What you do have are four great modern classic rock songs that a feature a finely honed band and a powerhouse singer over a surprisingly clear production. If you like bands such as Dirty Honey and Inglorious who are also making new waves, then do yourself a favour and head over to Kiss Kiss Bang’s Bandcamp page and purchase this, because, in a very short time, you’ll be paying a lot more to see and hear them, if there’s any justice in this cruel world. Terrific stuff.
Track List:
01. Solid Gold
02. High Price (For Peace of Mind)
03. Easy 2 Love
04. Slow Motion
Band Members:
Trevor Smith – vocals, guitars, synth, percussion
Clayton Crowder – guitars, slide guitars, vocals, percussion
Andrew Hopper – bass, vocals, percussion
Taylor Sanders – drums
Production:
Produced by Kiss Kiss Bang and Matt McQueen
Engineered and mixed by Matt McQueen
Additional Engineering: Matt Goldman
Mastered by David Caplinger
Band Websites:
Facebook
Bandcamp
Reviewed by Rockney Colin for Sleaze Roxx, April 2021
Kiss Kiss Bang‘s “High Price (For Peace of Mind)” video: