Local Wednesday: ‘An Album’ by Kyoto Protocol

Ah, here I am again, writing about Kyoto Protocol. And oh look, it’s the 100th post! What a coincidence. Let’s proceed.

A lot of us, until three Saturdays ago, have been hooked on Kyoto Protocol for mere live sets on stages big and small (and tiny too), and gone home with rings in our ears while reliving great moments through filtered spectacular in YouTube videos. So, it was high time when the album launch took place, and at the end of the night, each fan got to bring home a piece of Kyoto Protocol with them.

Simply titled An Album (pronounced as ‘anal bum’ just for buffoonery purposes), it is a debut every KPeep is more than familiar with, but with better production. The album title is not exactly eloquent, in my personal opinion, especially coming from a band like Kyoto Protocol. But I suppose, if it were meant to be a wordplay, then it would make sense. Well. Maybe not. It is a personal kind of Kyoto Protocol humour thing. I think.

An Album is a tight compilation of  first world country woes. Do you ever feel complaisant in life yet uncomfortable simultaneously? Do you ever feel taken advantage of yet incapable of changing things to your accord? Do you ever feel redundant yet irrelevance is all you are good at? This one is for you.

The debut record opened with Mosquito. The tenacious bangs of the drums and stimulating introductory chords with a strong and sturdy energy that persevere throughout the song, pretty much like the pestilent pest itself. “Swat me as many times / You’ll find I cannot die”. They may annoy you. They may draw you in. Whatever the feedback may be to their music, Kyoto Protocol has landed, and like it or not, they are here to stay.

Big Machine is a production line of the young and hopeful, spirits set and ready with a degree in hand, minds all painted in green and in wads of moolah, can’t wait to buy things they don’t need, and impress people they don’t like. “We all live in utopian dream / Suckle on breast until you’re 18 / Go to University and get your degree / Exit a product of the big machine”. Bet you feel so special right about now, don’t ya?

It is a rather apt arrangement to have their first single, Pussycat, placed third on the album. It works up a kind of anticipation past Mosquito and Big Machine to get there, (or you can just skip to the track, if you like, of course), and by the time the all too familiar bass and effects flood your speakers, you are ready for it. I’m not going to go into details about Pussycat, because I have already done that. You can read all about it here.

From here on out are anti-romantic love songs. The fetching and rather blissful melody of Gimme Nothing would tempt you to hop on your office desk and dance the shit out of it, whilst almost immediately, brings you down from the high with Never Know. The sexy sway of guitar croons, throaty vocals that breathes seduction, and drippy lyrics: “As always I never know / How things tend to end so / Always in the waiting line / Never the winning kind”. This sex is on fire.

An Album proves to be a suitable album to sing along to at the top of your lungs when you are stuck in traffic, or even when you are just having a bad weekday. It is hard not to when that clear yet roughed up vocals make you want to belch your heartiest along. The enslaving drums and ample guitar riffs, you can’t help but bang the heel of your palms along to the beat on the steering wheel, as you scream along to the powerful end of “Are you this tame all the time, time, time, time – fuck!” But seeing that there are only five tracks on the record, it is much too little for gridlocks in the city that goes on for hours.

In the meantime, turn up the volume. Sing of this shitty life. Sing of the apathetic society. Sing of your inevitable career. Sing of an unrequited relationship. Sing. Sing your heart out. But watch out, the car in front just stopped. Hit the brakes!

W: KyotoProtocolBand.com
T: @KyotoBand

Tags: An Album, Kyoto Protocol