TheKI, (stylized ‘theKI’) a new independent duo from Los Angeles, released their eponymous debut record back in September. Typically, indie outfits struggle to garner any sort of significant following, but in the case of theKI, they found themselves with $25,000 in backer funds via a successful Kickstarter campaign. That money didn’t go to waste. Roxie Sakura and Lucas Francis shine brightly on their debut, accented magnificently well by a whole slew of local session musicians to flesh out their sound.
The album, as the band describes it, is a concept record that ‘portrays the darkness and light of personal struggle.’ The lyricism delves into the teachings of spiritual leaders, both old and new, and the instrumentation attempts to meld pop, jazz, rock, R&B, and an array of other genres as well. For the most part, these influences meld effortlessly into a seamless sound. Let’s talk about some of the duo’s radio singles from the new album.
‘Dirty’ is, well… dirty. You’ll feel a bit dirty after listening to it, frankly, but that’s likely what theKI were shooting for. It’s the (sometimes) uncomfortably erotic journey of someone who’s deeply weighed down by their sexual desire. It’s quite hard to make a sex-driven song actually sound good, and not kitschy. Despite that awkward “I’m feeling kind of dirty” lyrical hook, the song does a good job navigating the territory well. You walk a thin line with this lyricism, I’m glad the theKI didn’t fall off into Rod Stewart territory. (It isn’t ‘Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?’)
‘Breathe’ takes a huge turn, creating a simplistic soundscape that centralizes around lyricism about Sakura’s gratefulness for everything in her life. The track is superior to its predecessor in every way, gracefully introducing some hip hop elements alongside some inherently jazzy instrumentation and poppy vocals. ‘#NFL’ or, ‘Nothing Lasts Forever,’ is a decent track, but the instrumentation is too weighed down in overproduced predictability. (I still have yet to meet a song with a hashtag in the title that isn’t, honestly.)
‘Power Up’ is centralized around a ‘Barracuda’-esque guitar riff. It’s a straight up rock track, one of those “I am a warrior” self-empowerment tunes. In that sense, it fulfills its duties. It isn’t particularly interesting, though, nor is it overly original. (Perhaps with the exception of the rapped verse.) Finally, ‘Let It Go’ exhibits theKI as a masterful blues outfit, maybe even marking their most likable performance throughout the singles.
Tracks like ‘Breathe’ and ‘Let It Go’ paint theKI as an outfit with immeasurable potential. Tracks like ‘Power Up’ and ‘#NFL’ hold them back, creating a superficial landscape for them to occupy. So… more ‘Let It Go,’ less hashtags. There is promise here; is just needs to be tapped consistently and properly.
By Brett Stewart
I’m a professional writer and editor, a journalism major, and I have extensive experience in musical review. I worked for two years as the Editor & Chief of an arts magazine, Strike Magazine, where I worked closely with writers and musicians. Through this, I was able to interact with dozens of acts including Heart, Holly Williams, Robert Cray, John Hiatt, and more. The magazine printed thousands of issues and was even recognized by Rolling Stone’s founder, Jann Wenner.
