aaamusic | On 16, Sep 2012

This new EP from KIDCITY just goes to prove that a plethora of glossy sound effects good music does not make. Portentous and self-knowingly morbid, there are some effective moments, but ultimately the two-piece electronic band lack songwriting finesse and harmonic originality. The EP also lacks any real variety or contrast, making it somewhat tiresome fare that elicits diminishing returns with each subsequent track.
These problems are immediately apparent from the opening number, Voodoo. Littered with ambient effects, electro riffs, and snarling vocal samples, it sounds like something from a Terminator-style apocalyptic sci-fi soundtrack. Ominous lingering echoes and shuddering syncopated beats populate an even darker final section, and there’s no denying the song’s successful creation of atmosphere. However, it’s all surface and no substance. Harmonically, this is unoriginal, cheesy pop fare; and structurally, the song’s a complete mess, flitting back and forth with no real direction or sense of dramatic narrative or resolution.
Call Mom aims for even darker territory, but also proves more irritating as well. As with the rest of the EP, it takes itself incredibly seriously, but lacks the necessary musical sophistication to pull off the air of gravity aspired to. Further sound effects once again evoke a gloomy, dystopian mood; but the derivative sub-Linkin Park use of standard pop chord patterns pushes the song over the edge into the realms of cliché and melodrama. Even worse, it is incredibly overlong, featuring little contrast or variety to keep things interesting or dramatically effective.
MRDR BRDNS opens with a modal chant and more ambient effects – an evocative opening that sadly doesn’t really go anywhere. Once again, we get a stream of surface gimmicks without a decent song to attach them to. The track also jumps around horribly; when one idea runs out of steam, the duo simply flip to another unrelated one, rather than developing or intelligently contrasting their material.
More of the same comes along with Powder, but at least this track is shorter. The same chords are used again, but by focusing on less musical ideas, the song makes more structural sense.
Final song What Have You Done has another very effective opening, featuring a hypnotic electro riff and dark chromatic harmonies. Unfortunately, from this point on it turns into another overlong, messy song, which requires s a good going over by someone who understands the mechanics of songwriting.
Atmosphere and effect are all well and good, but five tracks worth of shiny exteriors and very little musical expertise, imagination or diversity, makes for rather dull listening.

★★★★★

Rupert Uzzell