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Amythyst Kiah – Still + Bright

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Amytyst Kiah - Still + Bright

Amytyst Kiah - Still + Bright
4.7

Rating

 4.7/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Great, intense storytelling
  • Very versatile arrangements
  • Good musicians and guest artists

In 2021, I already ran into the music of Amytyst Kiah. The US-American artist had released her album Wary + Strange in June of that year. On 25th October 2024, the artist is back with a new release. Here is my review of Still Bright.

 

Amytyst Kiah – About The Artist

Amythyst Kiah was born on 11th December 1986 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She is, however, nowadays living at the US-American West Coast. Kiah started to tour in 2010. Since 2013, she is a recording artist, who describes her sound as Southern Gothic. She studied bluegrass, old time and country music, her style is however also influenced by other Americana genres.

 

Amytyst Kiah – Still + Bright – Track by Track

The twelve song album lasts 43 minutes.

1. Play God and Destroy the World (feat. S.G. Goodman)

The album contains a couple of interesting collaborations. The opening song Play God and Destroy the World is the first one of those, featuring Kentucky-based singer-songwriter S.G. Goodman. The song has been inspired by movies like The Matrix and is a message to the teenage version of Kiah. A soulful, energetic song, which also comes with a very own spirit.

2. S P A C E

Why am I so compulsive
I wanna crawl out of my skin
Goddamn I’m so repressed and
Still learning how to live
My screams and my dreams are met with silence
As I stare into the black mirror
With a chest made of glass

The second song takes you to S P A C E (which indeed has spaces in between). However, it is not about traveling far above, but simply claiming for Give me space. The song has a stronger folk music signature than the opener. The mandolin (played by Ellen Angelico, who I well remember as musician for Lauren Jenkins) and the fiddle (by Tania Elizabeth) thereby lead to a very characteristic sound.

3. Empire of Love

In the press kit to the album, Amythyst Kiah names Empire of Love her personal theme song. The third track on Still + Bright has a nice ease and a present rhythm. This leads to a nice touch of pop music.

4. I Will Not Go Down (feat. Billy Strings)

The following three songs are all collaborations with other artists. Two of the songs have already been shared with fans of the Tennessee artist. First of all, there is I Will Not Go Down, in which Billy Strings is featured as guitarist and backing vocalist. The repeating phrase I will not go down, especially at the beginning of the track leads to a world music flavor. Again, the arrangement, coming with multiple guitarists, a banjo, clapping and percussion, feels very complex and interesting.

5. Silk and Petals (feat. Butch Walker)

Butch Walker is well-known as a solo musician, but also as a producer. The Georgia-origin musician is the guest musician on Silk and Petals. Apart from producing the song, he is also present on the bass and as a vocalist. The song presents a fine melody and a catching rhythm. However, the song has a really dramatic touch, as it is inspired by the Lady in the Lake, Viola Lloyd. Again, the virtuous guitar play by Ellen Angelico is a striking element of the track.

A quiet rage lingers on
The chest of silk and petals
Sinks into the floor
The promise of the gift was broken
Now everyone who’s crossed her path
Their necks were snapped in half
Just like promises are

6. Die Slowly Without Complaint (feat. Avi Kaplan)

The dark voice of former Pentatonix member Avi Kaplan leads to a very intense and dramatic listen in this song. The title of this track already suggests that is not the most happy story of Kiah’s 2024 album. The continuous, almost unstoppable bass drum adds up to this feeling – you might have some goosebumps while listening to this song.

7. Gods Under the Mountain

My hands covered with black slime
My lungs choked with dirt and grime

The lyrics of this song could also be a perfect choice for a darker metal track. However, that’s not the genre Still + Bright is operating in. Thus, it works out nicely in the context of this album, continuing with the intense atmosphere of the predecessor. The lyrics are the backbone of this one, indeed.

8. Dead Stars

After these dark and intense listens, Dead Stars almost feels like a relief. The song strongly leans towards country music, driven by a very present waltz rhythm. Despite that feeling and a certain ease of the song (also driven by some whistling in the melody), there are rather sad stories on this album – the verse We were two stars that just burned out is underlining that.

9. Dark Matter

The ninth track on Still + Bright feels having a more positive and energetic outlook. We weren’t just human anymore, we were alive. Again, the lyrics are rather picturesque and metaphoric and lead to a very inspiring listen and a strong message.

10. Let’s See Ourselves Out

After strong, intense songs so far, the country-music style, rather quiet Let’s See Ourselves Out feels a bit of confusing at first sight. Is this still the same album? Especially in the context of the record, the song feels light and playful, but also leads to a more vulnerable view on Amythyst Kiah and her stories. A nice contrast – and a good listen for music consumers who rather prefer easier music.

11. Never Alone

Never Alone feels like a rock song. Working with some distortion and synthesizer elements, it even has a touch of indie music. However, the song has a lot of facets. The fiddle preserves the Americana touch, the backing vocals push the sound a lot in the chorus. Nice.

12. People’s Prayer

Despite a duration of almost four minutes, the chucker-out of Still + Bright does not need too many words to give its message. People’s Prayer feels to complete the finer and more sensitive set of three songs at the album in just the right way.

We are sentient, fragile, unstable animals
Who at any moment will be rendered useless
And we’ll hang to dear life until it’s over

 

Amytyst Kiah – Still + Bright – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify:

 

Amytyst Kiah – Still + Bright – My View

I have to give in: when I listened to Still + Bright the first time (honestly, doing some other Flyctory.com stuff in parallel), I was asking myself whether going for this album review is the right choice. The more I got into Amythyst Kiah’s latest release, the more I loved it. It comes with great, intense storytelling and musical excellence. Apart from the songwriting itself, I absolutely loved Angelico’s wide-spread instrumental excellence in this one. If you dare to give this album the space it requires, you will have a really good time with it.

Favorite Song: Gods Under the Mountain

 

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