K.Flay is versatile.
Spitting fire to jagged beats is what artist K.Flay has become known for over the course of her career. Yet the 34 year old singer/songwriter doesn't let this definition constrain her musical style; her songs ranging from wishfully singing about the past and future to more angry, upbeat, and overall intense raps about hypocrisy and injustice. Her third studio album, entitled Solutions, embraces this versatility and explores the many different angles of K.Flay's interpersonal life and relationships.
The album begins with "I Like Myself (Most Of The Time)", a tune where K.Flay evokes confidence yet simultaneously insecurity as she croons about her self-image and relationship with herself. The second track of the album, single "Bad Vibes", calls out negativity and toxic relationships over an eerie, whining keyboard and a thick, heavy beat.
An old-fashioned swing bass rhythm sets the tone for "This Baby Don't Cry" as K.Flay alludes to The BeeGees ("I used to want to say an early goodbye But I'm a disco queen, I just keep staying alive") and blissfully pushes the worries and anxieties she holds onto away. "Sister" is framed by an upbeat electronic beat and K.Flay's promise to support and protect those who she loves in her life, saying that "being a sister isn’t about gender or DNA. It’s about unselfconscious love,"
The fifth and seventh tracks, "Nervous" and "Ice Cream", talk about K.Flay's blossoming feelings as a new love walks into her life. "Nervous" is more solemn as K.Flay opens up about her hesitation toward falling in love, yet ultimately allows herself to as "Ice Cream" paints a picture of young crushes and butterflies as she says this new love "makes [her] brain freeze".
"Good News" shows K.Flay's more hopeful side as she speaks about the constant cycle of negativity and 'bad news' in modern society; bass pounding and low keyboard hits accompanying her cries for wanting good news. Two of the last tracks of the album, "Only The Dark" and "Not in California" speak of K.Flay's uncertainty and desire to go forward and make change happen.
The final track "DNA" is extremely personal and explores K.Flay's difficult relationship with her abusive, late father. She explains her desire to not be like her father, yet she understands she's related to him, no matter what.
While her previous album Every Where is Some Where seemed to flow smoothly and talk about K.Flay's relationship to the world, Solutions is infinitely more personal and explores K.Flay's psyche and her relationship to herself. The music styles, while not drastically different from her previous albums, do work well and match the lyrical vibe of each song nicely.
4 out of 5 stars.
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