Song Review: Kiss Of Life – Get Loud

Fresh off their snoozy pre-release R.E.M, Kiss Of Life are back with the title track from their new album. Get Loud ratchets up the energy and throws back to mid-2000’s R&B/dance sounds. The song wouldn’t sound out of place on a girl group album from that era, and that’s a solid direction for this group to take.

April’s Midas Touch hinted at this 2000’s aesthetic, giving the girls an attitude-fueled banger to showcase their burgeoning dominance within the K-pop market. Get Loud isn’t quite as charming and feels more generic, but I’m happy to see Kiss Of Life continue down this route. The track’s rhythmic guitar and shuffling beat maintain a consistent energy that gives the group a solid backbone to work with. The opening verse lacks a distinct sense of melody but successfully winds around the groove. The production actually compliments hip-hop better, as evidenced by the brief (but memorable) second verse.

Get Loud misses an opportunity with its chorus. I feel like I’ve heard this melody (or variations of it) before, and once again the song seems to be supporting the instrumental rather than the other way around. Kiss Of Life wring what they can from the material, but there’s a sense of flatness to the topline that could do with revision. So many great ingredients are here. They just need a bit more time to cook.

Grade: B-