Review: Kit! “s/t” CD

I don't know how I feel about this. It's not bad, but at the same time I don't really enjoy it. I guess you'd call it a mix of melodic hardcore/punk, indie rock, and subtle new wave kinds of influences - fronted by female vocals that are kind of in between singing, yelling, and speaking. Expect midpaced songs that use very light guitar distortion with very little layering for a pretty open sound that has a rock vibe to it without being overly loud, aggressive, or energetic. Nor is it laidback, and perhaps that's where my problem lies. Nothing really grabs me or comes across as either catchy or emotional, so it's kind of just this 20-minute collection of songs that I can listen to but have no real reaction to. The vocals aren't very emphatic either, which could possibly work if the music carried more of a punch, but... it doesn't, so it just comes across as rather bland and uninviting. The longer "Magic Fingers..." is the only song whose chorus is a little more memorable. The track still feels like it's lacking something, but it is more promising... the music is somewhat somber, the vocals get a bit more presence going on, etc. This is definitely the composition that shows the band reaching for something more. "Let's Get Political (On Dis Azz)" is somewhat similar in having an added dash of energy to its uptempo riffing and borderline catchiness, but the vocal performance feels a little bland and overall something still feels like it's missing - I just can't place what it could be! Some of the other songs such as "Kitter Scamitter McGregor" are a little more laidback, but nothing that really jumps out or changes the setting for the better, you know? The recording is spacious and dry and has an intentionally rough sort of sound, and it works. I think the vocals tend to be too loud in many cases (not during the spoken passages, of course) and there's not enough of a bass presence, but the tones themselves sound fine, so... evening out the mix would be my only recommendation. I'm not into the layout or the lyrics at all, though. The front cover looks alright, but everything else is cramped and the text and images are just boring. Lyrically it comes across as hipster rock 'n' roll junk to me: "We're running out of chemistry but baby, that's alright..." No thanks. The lyrics are the least of my worries though, as it's the songwriting that needs a kick in the ass. It's just boring to me. I think the moodier indie riffing and slightly catchier chords that still retain a dirty noisiness to the performances are more effective, but in the end the writing doesn't hit me with this one.