Album Review: iamamiwhoami - Kin

iamamiwhoami
Kin
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Back in December 2009, a series of anonymous videos were released on YouTube featuring striking imagery accompanied by strangely evocative electronic music. Glimpses of a blond woman were interspersed throughout, creating a huge, viral Internet buzz as to who was behind the enigmatic project. Many speculated it was the work of anyone from Lady Gaga, Goldfrapp, Björk, The Knife, Trent Reznor and Christina Aguilera. Eventually, a video was released when revealed the creator to be Swedish singer/songwriter Jonna Lee. We are now left solely with the music, without the secrecy and mystery behind it. Removed from the hype and buzz, we find an album that fits in a comfortable niche between more experimental acts like Fever Ray and The Knife, and more electro-pop acts like Robyn and Goldfrapp.

Disassociated from the visual element makes the music seem a little less interesting and important, however, there are some really amazing moments on this record. It veers back and forth between more down-tempo, moody tracks and more radio-ready synthpop tracks. All of them are tied together by Lee's odd, endearing voice. While nowhere near as supple as Bjork, it sort of skirts the line between her guttural howl and Robyn's goofy soprano. It is an acquired taste for sure, but gives the project some distinctiveness. For me, the album works best when it is less experimental and more pop oriented. The dance floor-centric pulse and throb of "Goods,"



the rush and push of "Good Worker,"



the swirling mix of airy synths on "Idle Talk."



and the slow build and multi-tracked vocals of "Kill," which finishes in a blur of tinny drum machines and layers of keyboards.



The rest of the album leans more towards atmosphere and away from the hooks of the previous tracks. While this doesn't necessarily derail the album at all, the tracks don't resonate as much. The sludgy, grimed out beats of "Play" are an interesting change up, but the track sort of stagnates and features a particularly grating vocal from Lee, her voice pitch-shifted up to uncomfortable levels.



Heavy electro beats and whining synths punctuate the ominous fury of "In Due Order."



Atmospheric ballad "Rascal" sees Lee effectively dipping into her lower registers as the glitchy music spins around her.



Despite the comedown after the huge hype created by the teaser videos, Kin is still a strong debut for Lee. Her distinctive voice sets her apart from her electro-pop peers, and her use of visual accompaniment further adds to her allure and charm. Kin creates an interesting world to be lost in, and whets the appetite to see what she comes up with next.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.