Arden Kaywin
October 21, 2008
PEGA Entertainment Group
Opening with the pointy pop song Let It Go Kaywin is off to a flying start. She shows to be a strong vocalist and as the song carries on and the pointy, staccato arrangement of the song has sunk in it is getting quite catchy in its own way. With the uptempo, catchy Lights Out Arden Kaywin has a strong song on her hands that can possibly be a radio single. It has that cheeky, flirty sound yet it still sounds fresh. I like it.
The Last Time is a fine piece of music, but the contrast with the pointier, poppier tracks that precede it is a little sudden. The soaring, flowing motion of The Last Time is a rhythm that slowly resonates within the listener, but it’s not the most memorable track on the album. But with the powerful and sweet ballad So Beautiful, Arden Kaywin melts many hearts again. We always imagine the music we listen to, to be sung to us, and don’t tell me you don’t feel anything when you hear Arden sing this.
The next track has a strong Michelle Branch-like vibe to me. Butterflies 2.0 is a pretty cool song with a nice drive and good tempo. Arden’s breezy vocals have a lot of quality and lift the song to a higher level. They make the song vibrant and dynamic. The jazzy, funky Grand Soirée is so much fun. It reminds me a little bit of Dutch band Room Eleven with its swingy, summery sound that just gets under your skin and makes you wanna dance. One of my favorites on the album. And then Galileo which is such a masterful pop song. With an edge though. The hommage to the great minds in history has the exact right feel to bring across the message of the song. And listen to those vocals. Arden Kaywin is a great vocalist and at least as good a songwriter. The chorus is as fine as you would hope for and the whole song just clicks. Definite highlight on the album.
The indie, slightly industrial-influenced Girl In A Man’s World is a little different from what I expected, but geez it’s a good song. The build-up is a little slow in the beginning but when we get nearer to the 1min mark, the song burst into an energetic, danceable pop/rock track that might just do some damage on indie radio before you know it. Sleepwalking has a very nice, resonating intro and features some cool background vocals. The different layers in the song come out quite well and while it isn’t a song with the greatest commercial potential, it does have a way of getting in your head.
The probably single Boys & Girls is uptempo and has a very catchy rhythm. It’s not Arden’s best song, but it sure is a lot of fun to get hooked on the energy of the song and rock out and shout along to it. Definite favorite for live sets. No way in hell I’m sitting still on this one.
The astonishing title track might just be one of the best on the album. Maybe even the very best. The emotional and personal feel of the song is enhanced by the subtle piano arrangement and listening to this song just makes me want to give her a hug and tell her it will all be alright. It’s one of those songs you can really, actually feel. Very, very impressive.
And if that weren’t enough, there’s one more treat for us. The album closer The Way That I Am is an uptempo pop song with industrial-like synth lines and a well-paced, catchy chorus. Not really my favorite on the album, but the burst of energy in the song makes me wanna get on my feet anyway.
With “The Elephant In The Room”, Arden Kaywin puts herself on the map and I am sure that this album can lead to great things for her. She obviously knows how to write and perform great music and what I like most about “The Elephant In The Room” is that you can hear the emotion and passion in her music. There are so many good singer/songwriters, but the ones that can get not only the message, but also the feelings across, are the truly great ones. And Arden Kaywin is very capable of doing just that.