Spinning the bottle with Kissing Party
Enjoying the outdoors with Kissing Party; photographed by Eric David Lough.
Upon their triumphant return; Denver’s own Kissing Party bring back their own self-branded and bold slop pop where they edify the tenets of shambles chic to new levels of purposeful dissonance. Having released their new album Mom & Dad on their own label BBYV — the band gives us an unlimited array of feels that resounds with a style that is poignantly reminiscent with songs that imagine/re-imagine sentimental moments shared in nostalgic interludes. Think of the full-length as a soundtrack for a throwback VHS 80s coming of age rom-com; skillfully designed to score tomorrow’s cherished memories today.
Gregg Dolan and the band find a way to bridge the 80s undergrounds with the bedroom pop overtures of the past decade. Mom and Dad plays out like the soundtrack from an independent film fresh from making the rounds at all the influential cinema festivals that offers a little something for all moods, tastes and trends. It all begins with the electro intro of "Wasted Worlds Apart" that is in emotive praise of good times, lost times and that certain someone who is elsewhere across long distance landscapes. The momentum picks up swiftly on the punky fallen idol worship on "Celebrity of My Heart", right before tuning to the twee radio station style of the honest and sentimental "Jesse" that Deirdre Sage sings like recitations from a square folded pen pal letter, handwritten on college ruled binder paper.
Kissing Party keeps the dream alive and soaring high as felt on “Little Star”, twinkling forward on “Little Darlings” that elevates feelings of felicity high up to the sky. The party oscillates between the rough DIY janglers like "Jimmy Dean", with grandiose and emotively heavy ballads such as "Coulda Been Me" to the swift yet righteously arranged title track that is a combination of both styles. Romantic vignettes are executed in an evocative and earnest fashion such as "He's Not Moi", to the youthful recollections (and petty/arbitrary insults) of "Bratface", as Deirdre expertly brings the confident attitude and style on tracks like "Opera House" to sending the album out on a mighty note with "Transformed" that feels like a forgotten after school special that arrives 360 with a newfound sense of realizations and revelations. Kissing Party keeps the aesthetic alive on the bonus cuts "Janelle" that maintains the diligently doting mode in full effect, while Deirdre takes a deep dive into the unknown streams of the consciousness with "Problems or Dreams", to the frank and upfront bopper of "Bobby", or curating an ode to the crossed-finger classes of the proverbial (and in this case decidedly punk styled), "Liars Club".
Kissing Party also penned for us the following exclusive preface/prologue to Mom and Dad:
Kissing Party’s new album Mom & Dad is available now.