Author: velvetnoisemusic

Kaiyko, an indie/alt artist began her music career on soundcloud in 2015. Influenced by bands like Now, Now, Never Shout Never, Brand New, and Japanese Breakfast, among many others, her latest track, “ONE CHANCE I WON’T TAKE” is able to show these influences by letting them bleed through, but is able to clear a path for her modern sound. This single was released on July 17th, 2020. Produced by 1800.SEAN, the mixing of the track is seamless and perfectly works with the indie pop and alternative vibe that kaiyko is able to create.

Listening to this song sounds like walking down a street full of pink and purple neon lights. This song has a kind of glow to it in how it handles the rhythms and melodies. It has a lot of texture to it that works together well. None of the layers of the song clash, and all of the layers enhance the others.

The lyrics are very true to the vibe, and add to the overall sound. The lyrics are also able to lend themselves to the buildup created by the melody and rhythm. When there is a change of pace, whether it’s driven by the music overall, or the rhythm, the lyrics are right there, and nothing gets lost.

Her vocals are very crisp, and her high notes don’t sound forced. The only real issue with this track is that it seems like the overall feeling is inhibited by its structure; the part of the song that sounds like what the bridge would be comes way too early and it could add a lot more power to the portion before the pre-chorus and the outro. Switching these around would be a small change, but overall would create a better flow and could build up the song more, creating a more satisfying ending. In spite of that, the song has nice mixing, and a fun sound to it.

Listen below

Review by Adelynn Puett

Serving as a portrayal of an inner battle with one’s own flaws, Antivst’s new song “Hard to love” examines the cost of loving another when one does not understand themselves. Antivst’s song begins with a simple guitar melody. Her voice enters its space, rich and dark like silk. “I don’t really like that”, she sounds sad and discouraged by this relationship she holds with another person. She battles with the contrast of her feelings about this person and the way this person makes her feel. The lyrics powerfully describe this turmoil with “ why don’t you run from me, lead me to the train tracks?”, reflecting on loving someone but having fears that you are too broken for the love to be requited. As she says “why don’t you want me, nobody wants me” and “I guess I am cold now. At least that’s what I’m told now ” .. she muses over experiences in which people told her in some way that she was unlovable. Towards the end she says “just know that I wont hurt you, if I do it’s not true” and “I want you, I’m just scared to love you”. Her voice is melodic and gripping, pulling you into the first person perspective of what it feels like to feel what she does. “Hard to love” is a self-reflective song that depicts a shifting focus on what causes a person to hesitate to remain in a relationship.

Click here to listen:

ANTIVST · Hard to love (prod.poppa)