Up and Comers Music

Whether or not indie folk is your thing, Kick Me!, the debut EP from Kelly Flatley, is music that will win you over from the start. Through warm production, haunting and expressive songwriting, and memorable lyrical poetry, Flatley’s music will draw you in for a visit that turns into a long-term stay.

This is music that should fill rooms, bars, or wherever else the artist chooses to showcase it and will speak for itself – nonetheless, I will share a few words.

Musically, Kelly evokes influences in the vein of Phoebe Bridgers, Soccer Mommy, and Angel Olsen. Her sound is lush, expansive, and dark. Vocal harmonies pop in and out in unpredictable patterns, keeping the listener on their toes, and although woven together by a common vocal tone, each of the songs features its own unique textures. There is a sense of effortlessness in Flatley’s voice as she easily shifts between octaves and glides among pitches.  

From the perspective of lyrics – another of the artist’s strengths (she is a self-described “lyricist at heart”) – Flatley cultivates a sense of urgency that marries well with the dark tones of the music. There is often something that must be done to either escape or save something. In track 1, we hear “I better start building the ark”, in track 2 “this is gonna kill us if we don’t let it go,” and by track 3, she is contemplating taking matters into her own hands: “I could throw a molotov cocktail / burn down the places I go”. Heard against the somber backdrop of guitars, horns, and strings, these incisive lyrics cut through with a punch but also blend in nicely with the warmth and darkness of the music.

Overall, in this first EP, Kelly Flatley has showcased her musical depth. In it, she has cultivated a well-executed indie folk sound, experimented with various instrumentations, and crafted her own form of lyrical poetry. Whether or not you regularly dabble in this genre, Flatley’s music is worth listening to and will win you over through ear-pleasing production, haunting and beautiful melodies, and warm and cohesive tonal qualities. Congratulations to Kelly Flatley and Analogue Records on this first EP release and looking forward to many more. 

Listen to the EP here