Kiss Hello release the melodic '10 West'

Hailing from Los Angeles, Kiss Hello, a band fronted by Linus Landucci and a plethora of collaborators, bring the sun with their ambient dives into melodic pop. With a back-catalogue comprising of a handful of singles and two albums, Kiss Hello have found their footing in experimental ventures and swirling electronic notes.

Plucked from their third album ('Feelings Must Follow'),  the experimental '10 West' is brimming with nostalgia ("I remember Saturday on the 101 / We stopped the car and popped a bottle of wine") and drenched in heartache ("But no matter how bad it gets / Don't ever call Brad again").

On the record, the track sits between the eerie instrumentals of 'Loneliness' and delicate acoustic strums of 'Smile Fair Bride' - bridging the gap between the two with folk-esque vocalisations. Soft and sombre, '10 West' departs from the upbeat, euphoric nature of his previous works such as 'Useless Beauty' and 'Sunsets'.

Talking on the record and new single, Linus notes: "...We also sampled a lot of vintage audio from Sunset Blvd and other places on tracks '10 West’ and 'Spoil the Silence.’ To me, LA is just a messy clusterf*ck of idyllic sunshine, noisy scum and fantasies unfulfilled and I think those words describe this album too."

Complete with airy vocals and soft sweeping acoustic guitars, the track sits in the same sonic vein as the likes of Motopony, Bon Iver and early Ben Howard cuts. Featuring overt melancholy surrounded by lush instrumentals and dreamy electronic notes, the track stands out from the rest of the record in the most exquisite way.

The eleven-track 'Feelings Will Follow' is an impressive feat from Kiss Hello, and we can only hope more projects are yet to follow.

Lana Williams

@swimdeeplana

Image: ‘10 West' Official Album Cover