As hybridised forms go, Kava Kava appear to have come up with something that’s truly unique. I'm generally not all that keen on smooth soulful vocals, and the fact I'm rarely taken by records that are overtly 'dance' is something I've hardly kept secret in my reviews in the last couple of years.
So when Pat Fulgoni croons, 'I want a moment of clarity' about a dozen times at the start of 'Clarity,' and the vocals are treated with a clean, digital production and the kind of delay that's been done to death on endless chart-friendly dance singles, I'm not exactly optimistic about the chances of my having anything positive to say Kava Kava's latest single.
But then the music gets going, and it's a full, driving electro sound with crunches and noise reminiscent of early NIN or Depeche Mode circa 'Ultra'. It's weird and unexpected, but works surprisingly well with its tetchy rhythms and snarling bassline. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be my sort of thing, but it's different enough to stand out, and for that, I have to say that I'm impressed.
