Kirby Krackle’s new album, Sounds Like You, takes them in some different directions without losing the spirit of their previous releases. In fact, there’s a hint of that right there in the title: pretty much anyone can relate to the songs, geek or not (hence it “sounds like [it’s about] you”). Now, that doesn’t mean that there are no geeky tracks; this wouldn’t be a Kirby Krackle album without that. From Star Wars to Game of Thrones, they’ve got you covered on the geeky side as well.
Since the album begins with a non-geeky track, let’s start there as well. “Parachute” is about being supportive when someone is feeling down, a situation we’ve all been in (on both sides, most likely). I think plenty of people can relate to the first single, “Grandma’s House,” as well. I know I used to love visiting my grandparents at Christmas, especially with my grandma’s log cookies. To this day when I make them, I always think of my grammie (of course mine are never quite as good). But probably the best non-geeky track has to be “Cozy Pants O’Clock.” I love putting on my cozy pants after getting home from work. It’s totally the best! Plus it’s a really great song.
Now on the geeky side, there’s “Set Your Phasers to Sexy.” It’s a pretty typical, rockin’ KK love song. I love the lines “I like the way you’re ignorin’ me” and “I like the way you don’t talk to me.” I get the impression that the geeks in the song know each other but haven’t figured out how to express their love. Sound like any geeks you know? In addition to being socially awkward, we geeks also love binge watching, something KK also captures in “One More Episode.” Every time I hear this song, I think of the BSG sketch from Portlandia (you should really see the whole sketch if you haven’t; it’s on Netflix…). Of course, the song is more on the romantic side than the sketch, but that doesn’t matter, it’s still the same idea.
I mentioned Star Wars and Game of Thrones earlier. The former gets represented in “Moisture Farm.” I’m pretty sure you can guess what that one’s about. I particularly like Luke’s reaction to finding out who his father is: “That was bad. And not good. And straight whack… He took my hand. That was bad. And messed up.” Kinda reminds me of Thumb Wars: “Bad is bad and good is good.” Now, I may not actually be a Game of Thrones fan, but I absolutely love “North of the Wall.” It’s a perfect balls-to-the-wall (pun definitely intended) closing track that just really rocks. It almost makes me want to watch the show (almost — except then I remember I can’t stand any of the characters so what’s the point?).
Musically this might be Kirby Krackle’s best album to date. The band sounds tight; taking a year off from making an album seems to have paid off. I also love the overall tone. There are plenty of topics that you wouldn’t normally expect to be made into songs, but Kirby Krackle tackles them anyway. I’ve already mentioned “Grandma’s House” and “Cozy Pants O’Clock,” but “Taco Night” is another perfect example of this. I mean, visiting grandma, putting on pajamas, and having tacos for dinner? Are those typical song subjects? Nope, but that’s precisely part of what makes KK so great. They play the songs as completely straight, avoiding novelty, and make them awesome.
Sounds Like You will be released on July 9, and you can pre-order it over on Bandcamp. So what are you waiting for? Go do it now!
