Wednesday 17 February 2016

Single: Madeline Kenney - Tricky Way

Madeline Kenney Tricky Way


Madeline Kenney - Tricky Way


Info: Madeline Kenney is an Oakland-dwelling Seattle transplant, whose background in bakeries and neuroscience somehow add up to the production of twang-hazey dream pop. It's like if Loretta Lynn had a secret shoegaze project and an obsession with a looper pedal. Kenney recently released the first single, 'Tricky Way' (above), from her forthcoming E.P. which is due in April. Lyrically, the song deals with the appreciation of friends who see us through (sometimes numerous) mistakes. The track is reminiscent of Mazzy Star, early Cat Power, and Sharon Van Etten.

There's just so much to love about this single and Kenney, I'm not going to go into vocal comparisons on this occasion as I think there is no requirement and the music and her style speak for themselves. The intro to 'Tricky Way' has that mellow honey feeling you got from Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, think 'Black Magic Woman' or 'Something Inside of Me'. The whole mood of the song meanders down a shimmering sun-kissed stream, Kenney's vocals darting between calm and heightened alarm, they see-saw to the music, and the bending guitar effects provide the emotional 'drop', the moment the song's theme has sunk in and registered. So much crammed into a short space of time by an individual who holds clear talent that even the most casual of music fans would pick up on.


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