New Music From Sour Lemonade, Kyle MacKillop
Sour Lemonade
How to Date a Mink Soundtrack
(Bandcamp)
Sometimes when scouring back alleys in an attempt to discover local music, I stumble upon some hidden magical sounding tunes. When I landed on the How to Date a Mink Soundtrack by Sour Lemonade, I was certain that I was misled by the internet.
Upon further review, Sour Lemonade turned out to be a legitimate Chattanooga music maker, so I decided to give it a listen to see what it was all about.
As the groovy mystic blared through the speakers, I sat with a blank stare, in disbelief, that something titled How to Date a Mink Soundtrack could have authentic daily listenable value, but it absolutely does.
Do not judge a book by its cover applies to all things in life, especially this album. The all instrumental album is remarkable.
Each song holds its own unique flow, and is skillfully produced. It is the kind of album that a person can hit play on and carry on, no need to worry about track management for its duration. The change of pace from track to track is baffling. The How to Date a Mink Soundtrack starts off with a chill heady acoustic vibe with the track “Shop”, but by the third song “Action!”, it has transferred to a gnarly head-bobbing electronic dance music track, with a funky horn sound and some nasty bass, then transfers back into overall great funky-sounding music that is fitting for all occasions.
Discovering this August album release has led me on the path to discover the rest of Sour Lemonade’s amazing pre-existing albums. Knocking on the Floor, Give in to Luck, and Clubs and Spades (deluxe), all are astonishing albums that are good from start to finish.
Chattanooga, we owe this artist an apology for sleeping on him for so long. Do yourself a favor and awaken your spirit to the artist that is Sour Lemonade. I am still wondering how this music has bypassed my radar for so long.
Kyle MacKillop
A Bigger Sky
(Bandcamp)
The musical abilities that pour from Kyle MacKillop’s soul, being, and vocal chords in his album A Bigger Sky is impressive, to say the least. Amidst his alternative Indy folk rock, his talent seemingly derives from a vast understanding of life in general. Through his lyrics he demonstrates a tremendous ability to relate to people, particularly the thing in their chest that thumps; their heart beat.
This is a truly powerful musician, and a prime example of why Chattanooga gets national mention as a up and coming powerhouse music scene. Kyle MacKillop knows how to grab a listener and hold them for as long as he wants.
He has the ability to make people look deep inside of their selves, to reflect on life, love, growth. He will make them laugh, cry, smile, and shiver; and bob their head to the rhythm of the extension of his spirit which is his music. That is what music is supposed to do. Music is supposed to bypass eardrums and dive straight for the soul; to be felt, and to make people feel alive.
This breath-taking display of true, pure music should be in any music lovers collection. Every song on the album is as powerful as the next, and each one is a contender for best song on the album. “Older”, “Don’t Trust Your Love”, “Black Water”, and “Every Now and Again” are all prodigious tracks. Where music is alive and well, it is often watered down, and can come from a place of ill-gotten motivation. People are doing it for the wrong reason, therefore, it can lose its potency. It is because of artists like Kyle MacKillop that music has purity left in it.
This young troubadour pours his heart and soul out into this album, and the final product is raw, uncut, beautiful, poetic music.
Solid soul music, straight from Chattanooga. Stop what you’re doing and go listen to this album. You won’t regret it for a moment.