Kyle John Kenowski – Need Disease
Kyle John Kenowski is an avid solo composer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His music blends classical music, psychedelia, folk-rock and pop. Outside his incredible musical talents, Kenowski is also an excellent animator; his video music for Trustworthy was released alongside his latest album Need Disease. Suffice to say, Kenowski’s work ethic and talents are unparallel in the underground scene.
One of the most admirable feats of Need Disease is how incredibly catchy it is without ever relying on the conventions of pop. Outside the imaginative and invigorating blend of psychedelia and folk, Kenowski’s Need Disease is overflowing with creative moments. The wails of Peter harken to the ethereal acid-rock deliveries of Tim Buckley on Starsailor, mirroring the inner psyche with a new standard in vocal delivery. Much could be said about Kenowski’s vocals on Supine Overtone’s, where the vocal layering is truly a marvel, or the remarkable pitch-changes in Sucrose Overdose. The utilisation of baby cries and real-life samples give Avalanche life; yet despite how haunting and marvelous they are, they are still unmatched by Kenowski’s profound lyricism and evocative delivery. Despite singing in mostly falsetto for the entirety of its runtime, Kenowski absolutely owns his vocal style.
It’d be unfair to spoil the intricacies of the remaining songs, as each piece is excitingly unpredictable and wonderfully captivating. Even on repeated listens, many intricacies surface naturally. There’s a sad backstory interwoven between the bars of Need Disease, which is neither explained nor dwelled upon; the album instead takes a gleeful approach to its woes, as opposed to a lugubrious one. The result is wonderfully extravagant and simultaneously oneiric. Themes of substance abuse and mendaciousness are treated with respect and executed with emotional honesty. Despite its grim underbelly, the album is incredibly colourful and extravangtly enticing; it’ll leave you in a gleeful mood regardless of its themes.
Not since the days of Tim Buckley has singer-songwriting been this raw, emotional and exuberantly extravagant. Very few rock musicians have ever achieved the prolific lyrical rawness of his work; simultaneously personal yet metaphysical. Need Disease is wonderfully expressive, highly creative and incredibly original. One can only hope during the two years Kyle worked on his music video for Trustwormy he simultaneously worked on a new project. His dedication to his craft, as well as his refinement, has unfortunately been ignored in the music scene till now. Here’s hoping Kenowski will achieve the success he deserves in future.
Incredible
Listen to it here:
Kyle John Kenowski – Need Disease
