The forthcoming seven song release Spectra from Boston based duo The Keymakers signals that, for brothers Rederic and Rome Alexander are concluding the first lap of their musical journey. The brothers began working on music together in 2016 and they have produced a small but growing body of musical work since then attesting to their chemistry as performers and collaborators. They have an expanding slate of live performances lined up for 2020 that will undoubtedly allow them to build on the momentum this release generates for them. Spectra collects their talents under a single banner for the first time and sparkles with such promise and skill you finish listening to the songs certain it isn’t the last time you’ll hear from this prodigiously talented duo.
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The opener “Home (Intro)” shows us more than one side of their musical character. There are pop sensibilities galore driving this mid-tempo track forward, manifesting largely through electronic instrumentation, but The Keymakers nod to their R&B influences as well by incorporating brass convincingly into the musical framework of this tune. The same penchant for electronic music makes its presence felt even stronger with the second track “Lonely” but, as before with the opener, Rome Alexander and Rederic juxtapose it with clean and stylish R&B vocals with memorable effect. They are better than average composers of electronic material; there’s never any sense of them pandering to the lowest common denominator. The Keymakers, instead, layer “Lonely” in interesting and colorful ways.
The single “California in the Sun” is one of the best tracks included on the release. The biggest reason for this is thanks to the near cinematic quality The Keymakers achieve with the song’s development. It begins in a low-key fashion and builds during its duration without ever feeling rushed or half-baked. The song’s construction brings listeners into the song early and never relinquishes its hold until the end.
The Keymakers ‘Spectra’ EP Campaign
To support! – igg.me/at/TheKeymakers This video explains The Keymakers’ current campaign to raise funds for their forthcoming debut EP, Spectra, out in November. Click the link above to learn more and find out how you can contribute and become a part of this project. We appreciate each and every one of you!!
“What You Wanted” boasts the only guest appearance on the release from vocalist Cadence XYZ and her warm inviting voice provides a noticeable shift in gears for the release. The same level of nuance and consideration defining the earlier songs is present here as well; the melodic virtues of this track are understated, as they are throughout the album, but very clear.
There’s a lot going on musically with the album’s penultimate track “Dark Out”. It may seem like it has a slightly disjointed arrangement at first but it ingratiates itself with listeners more as the song progresses. The same wont for marrying R&B vocals with electronic instrumentation is present here as well and The Keymakers deserve plaudits for finding endless variations within the formula they establish on this release; there’s no suggestion they won’t be able to continue mining this territory with future releases. They ratchet up the sonic intensity near the song’s conclusion and it gives the track a forceful ending unlike any other cut included on this release.
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“Remember” gives Spectra the sort of emphatic final curtain you would expect. The R&B influences rife throughout the music are much stronger here than many of the other tracks, but The Keymakers continue maintaining an effective balance between the R&B styled vocals and electronic fueled arrangement. Spectra is a polished and well-rounded release certain to catapult the duo to a new level of renown and opens their future wide.
Clay Burton