I think I’d have approached this album with more hope if it hadn’t had a title that sounded like a bad pay-per-view event shown on some channel up in the 800s, between the “Adult Content — You Must Be 18 To Order” stations and the music-only channels that seem invariably to be programmed to play all Bob Seger, all the time. You know, “Only this Sunday! Undefeated Reality looks to defend his HEAVYWEIGHT TIIIIITLE against brash young contender THE OPTIMIST! Will Reality lay The Optimist SUNNY SIDE UP, or will he finally find an opponent with a HARDER BITE? *cue montage of various people punching each other and falling into some ropes* Order it now, only $39.95!”
At any rate, judging by the evidence at work here on Kiss Kiss’s first proper album, they’ve got exactly one relatively novel idea, which is to take your standard (scr)e(a)mo template and paste a bunch of art-rock time changes and violin parts onto it. It’s quite possible to make something interesting out of that combination, but sadly, at least on the basis of this album here, Kiss Kiss are absolutely incapable of doing so.
Instead, they put together tracks like the idiotically-titled “Shits In Suits,” which sounds like a third-rate klezmer band in serious need of some valium, and “Vagabond,” which starts out emo, randomly turns into a slow track that sounds like a karaoke Muse cover, and then ends with a minute or so of noise that seems to be cribbed from old Einsturzende Neubauten rehearsal tapes. None of the songs manage to rise above the level of “competent” — few even make it that far (”Sixth Sense” is probably the best, if you’re really interested) — and every time that lead Kiss-er Josh Benash switches his voice up into the “I’m so tortured that now I’m gonna screeeeeeeeeam” mode, my hand reflexively goes for the mute button.
The band’s current Wikipedia entry makes the following ungrammatical claim: “As vast as their influences, their music is appealing to a wide audience.” I dunno — maybe there are enough moody teenagers who need a break from their Fall Out Boy records and are too young to remember any other violin-wielding alternative bands (alas, that dog.! We hardly knew ye!) to constitute a “wide audience.” However, unless that last sentence describes you, this release isn’t likely to be of much interest.
Label: Eyeball
Release date: Feb. 6, 2007
Rating: 4/10
17 Comments »
Whatare you talking about! This band is amazing, And THAT DOG, are you a fucking retard.
And why was it decided that it was a good idea to allow anonymous commenting? 
See, it’s that kind of incisive critique that motivates me to keep writing. ^_^
Also, I can’t tell you how entertained I am by the rabidity (is that a word? It is now) of these fans of the crummy emo-esque bands that I’ve been reviewing lately.
well, sam? you didn’t answer anonymous’s question. are you a fucking retard or what?
O_o
You’ll have to pardon me. It didn’t have a question mark, so I didn’t think it was a question — and due to the other punctuation, I thought the non-question was directed to THAT DOG anyway.
Anonymous will have to show back up and clear up my questions about his/her lazy grammar and punctuation before I’m willing to answer any hypothetical questions about my expletive intelligence.
Sigh.
I liked that dog. a lot.
Actually, I do not even RELATE to the last sentence, and I thnk that this band is amazing. Just because your opinion of them isn’t the greatest doesn’t mean that everyone who ISN’T an emo loser will agree.
sam, a fuckin retard AND and an emo loser! i love you even more now.
well ^^ i like their songs and music …are weird..yeah..but they have something that i like it owo! and … this band is not like others xD! have their own style ^^! i wanna that cd owo!!
FYI, Sam, this piece is listed as one of the Bad Reviews at Kiss Kiss’s myspace blog. ha!
ha ha ha. you have to like a band that puts up links to the bad reviews as well as the good ones. or at least if said link points to superstarcastic you do.
also. sam, you’re fired. we don’t like retards around here. j/k…great review. i couldnt agree more.
This band is so far from emo, I dontg get how you can even compare trhem to emo. They are a style all of their own. Even if you dont like it you have to at least respect them for being different.
Yeah, Sam! You have to respect them! Even if you don’t like proper grammar and punctuation!
geez, i’m starting to not like this band just because of all their anonymous fans. if you are going to stick up for somebody or argue someone’s opinion in a review, at least make up a name for yourself.
i really like kiss kiss. i love the violin, and i love josh’s voice. it’s what makes them different and not that same old crap you hear on the radio. i don’t care who likes them or not, all that matters is that i like them and your opinion wont change mine, everyone likes thier own music, don’t get defensive people.
ps: i wouldn’t consider them “emo” either.
Guys Guys, I think everyone is getting a bit out of hand in here.
I mean, everyone is entitled to an opinion, he didn’t like the album. He simply wrote a review.
What makes music what it is? What’s the great thing about music?
Expression.
If he was expressing an opinion that differs from yours: express it, but don’t bash, even if you feel that he was bashing.
Simply state what you have to say and back it up.
I disagree with the author on matters of the emo generalization.
I don’t think this band is emo at all, and if someone were to state this without proper insight, it would be wrong. But I think it’s obvious the author took the time to listen to the entire album but took in a different outlook on the classification.
I disagree because in my opinion it sounds nothing like Fall Out Boy or any other Poster band out there. Fall Out Boy isn’t even emo.
It’s the kind of emo that metal dudes hastily generalized into something they don’t enjoy.
I respect the authors opinion, and his insight, but to generalize and
classify the fans who you do not know of, makes this the most immoral point of the review. The truth is, I know that you don’t know everyone who listens to Kiss Kiss. The truth is that you can never pinpoint a wide, or narrow audience for a band.
The statement made in the wikipedia doesn’t reflect who Kiss Kiss is, or its fans.
If you’re a fan of Kiss Kiss and you see this review: Simply acknowledge and respect his opinion and move on.
If you’re someone who dislikes their music: Then acknowledge that fans do not make up a band; or what they stand for and that no one can specify an audience.
Emo probably isn’t the best word to use when describing today’s popular music amongst “moody teenagers”
It’s simply pop music now.
So, I end this comment with a quote from one of my favorite Kiss Kiss songs
“Then I saw the Cuts on Your Arms
I Guess your Bored and you need to Bleed
Hari Kari Sideshows can Be So
Very Fucking Stupid
And I Saw the Streets Where We Played
Where Depression is Industry
And I Take my Hat off To
Anyone Who’s ever Given More of a fuck Than Me”
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Comment by amber — March 1, 2007 @ 7:11 am
gross!