Track listing: Gypsies Castle, We Made It, Strange Life, Tuesday Bus, Never Be Me, King of San Francisco, I'm So Hooked, Town of Black, Someone To You
Welcome to the Strange Life is a helluva new record from UK-based KIER. On my first listen I was having a blast trying to figure out what I was listening to. In Coyote Music's interview with Kier, I asked her for some help. Strains of Elle King, Sia, Sarah Jaffe...a whole mélange of country, alternative, pop over which Kier dazzles with her full-bodied voice and stylistic lilts.
Kier dubbed her style with its own moniker: Y'all-ternative. Fits perfectly. Some of the songs fall right into an Alt Nation playlist while much of the album is bona fide, tried and true Country/Western.
"Gypsies Castle" is the lead-off track, a bouncy swing number with some sass and attitude that sets up the rest of the album nicely. By the time you get to the quasi-title track "Strange Life" the aforementioned King similarities come together--such a rich voice that climbs and falls with hearty Nashville twang. Not bad at all from the South Yorkshire native.
"Never Be Me" is the heavy hitting potential single from the record. It's got some Chicks-style attitude and a chorus that delivers. Close your eyes and see Kier's future: her belting out this track to an arena full of fans singing every word with conviction.
Kier deflects a lot of the credit for Welcome to the Strange Life away from herself and on to her team, producer, and band. And, sure, it takes a village to raise a good album. But at the heart of it you have a compelling young singer/songwriter who seems to have 'it', that certain star quality, that je ne sais quoi.
Welcome to the Strange Life drops on September 8, just a short time from now, and may just put Kier on the map. She's got no interest (for now) in diving into the Nashville scene. She wants to grow her fan base one-at-a-time, one performance at a time, earning long-term fans more than exploding virally only to come crashing down a short time later. And with Welcome to the Strange Life, she's got a record she can tap into years from now and be proud of what she's done. Singing this songs in a few decades is going to be easy--they're timeless, honest, and put together with collaboration and hard work.
Keep up with all things Kier at kierofficialmusic.com.