Lorenzo Wolff: A Frustrated, Broken-Hearted Joy

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A Frustrated, Broken-Hearted Joy

By LORENZO WOLFF

You’d think six months would be enough. You’d think that would be more than enough time for a private jet and a world tour. As good as this record is you’d think that after six months Kidnapkin would be on the cover of Rolling Stone.

Well it’s been six months since Kidnapkin released their second album Hush Now…a dizzying assault of experimental indie/punk rock mayhem. From start to finish this record is a triumph. Patrick Hanlin’s drums and background screams hit like an avalanche of scrap metal, while Daniel Ellis’s harpy-like vocals and guitar playing keep everything dynamic and interesting. Jamila Weaver’s bass playing keeps the record accessible. Her solid foundation makes it possible for the everyday listener to relate to Kidnapkin’s sound, experimental and intricate as it may be.

So here’s why this record is important. The members of Kidnapkin have generated something much bigger than the sum of their parts. They’ve made a record that portrays an emotion perfectly: a kind of frustrated, broken-hearted joy. It comes through so strongly that it is sometimes painful, so honestly that it’s impossible not to feel it. It’s not in the lyrics, and it’s not even musical. Like the first chorus of “Silhouettes” where Ellis’s voice seems at the verge of falling apart before he can get across what he set out to say. This emotional honesty is what separates Kidnapkin from millions of other bands, what will make their music lasting, and what makes this album truly meaningful.

Lorenzo Wolff is a musician living in New York. He can be reached at: lorenzowolff@gmail.com

Kidnapkin's "Hush Now"

A Frustrated, Broken-Hearted Joy