Post by StevePulaski on Nov 24, 2014 13:00:39 GMT -5
"Habits" - Single (2014)
By: Kelly Wynne
By: Kelly Wynne
Rating: ★★★½
"Tell me where good girls go to die," acoustic guitarist Kelly Wynne sings as the opening line to "Habits," her latest SoundCloud release. Her singular fixation with the lives self-proclaimed "good girls" live and where they find themselves amidst their journey to living an innocent existence is a continuing theme in her work and often makes for a piece not ruined by its indifference. Wynne's examination of this lifestyle and mentality usually results in a song that features the corruption of innocence or, at very least, a portrayal of some sort of shocking moment of realization for the good-natured person in her song.
"Habits" is a song about a girl living on the outskirts of all the fun and popularity that comes with her demographic, possibly because of her sensitive and gentile aura, who is only further corrupted when the significant other she meets emotionally and physically abuses her. Despite the terrible treatment, she still stays with him, dreading going back to sleeping alone, even if it means that bruises will heal and her happiness may slowly be restored. Wynne isn't so much concerned with narrative progression in the song as much as she is essence, detail, and emotion, making sure her voice rises in pitch when talking about the girl's cigarette burns and her motivation to leave and not say goodbye, freeing herself from a relationship that has only gone on to cripple her.
Conventional songwriting would turn this song into a common female-empowerment tale, or one concerned about the chronological events in which this relationship began and found its downfall. Wynne finds herself more invested in the mood and the specifics of this relationship, creating a soft melody and a wide range of lyrical detail towards the situations that occur in the song. What unfolds is a true tour-de-force, exhibiting the vocal range and lyrical ambition of Wynne, while simultaneously showing what she looks at when she sees a terrible relationship.
"Habits" forces us to examine just those - how we treat others and how our actions circumvent and give us the results we are soon met with. After four listens, I still feel the surmounting potential for a new singer-songwriter.
Give "Habits" a listen on Kelly Wynne's SoundCloud, soundcloud.com/kellywynne/habits