American pop act Karmin broke into the music industry with a double platinum hit “Brokenhearted”, hundreds of live performances, and an appearance on the cover of world famous Rolling Stone magazine. They have done all of this without releasing an actual album. “Brokenhearted” is off their EP Hello (2012), and they are just now releasing their first album in 2014 titled Pulses. The duo, comprised of Amy Heidmann and Nick Noonan, decide to take a more serious approach with their lyrics and subject matter this time around, but has maintained an overall upbeat and energetic sound.
Pulses explores a few different sounds for the group—some more rhythmic and others similar to the well received pop sounds which introduced them to world. Not to worry though, for fans of the Karmin they first heard, tracks such as “Acapella”, “Try Me On” and “What’s In It For Me” are sure to be crowd pleasers. These three songs all have a common theme of not standing for games and being independent. “Acapella” was the first single from the album that the group chose to release in June 2013. It has an edgy feel that is evident in various lyrics throughout the song; the lines “You and me are through though, watch me hit it solo” in the chorus sum up the overall feel of the song very well. The tracks “Try Me On” and “What’s In It For Me” both have very catchy pop chorus’ that will have everyone singing along. “Try Me On” certainly has the same fast-paced spunky lyrics that fans loved in the past. “What’s In It For Me” also has an edgier, no nonsense feel to it with lyrics like “You can toast love notes, I can burn sonnets/ It’s apparent I need to say no.”
More noteworthy elements of duo’s sound come with songs such as “Neon Love”. This song slows things down quite a bit with a very delicate sound. The dark guitar melodies coincide perfectly with the somber feel of the lyrics where Karmin tells the story of a once strong and sound love that has faded. The emotions behind this song are centered around a heartfelt and emotional chorus.
Overall Pulses is well-written album, but may not gain as much popularity as their first single “Brokenhearted”. It appears the duo was going for a cohesive album rather than a few standout singles. The growth they have demonstrated as songwriters and musicians, since their formation in 2010, will carry them far and they will continue to grow off this release. Not allowing themselves to be pigeonholed into a trend, they have dared to step-out of the boundaries of contemporary pop and create a consistently balanced record. The lyrics hold more raw emotion this time around which is sure to be well received by fans. While pushing the envelope a bit on Pulses, Karmin have done a fine job with this being their first stab at a full-length album. CrypticRock gives this album 3.5 out of 5 stars.
- Epic Records
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