Stanisland Magazine

MICHELLE releases new pop music in the form of their fresh EP “Kiss/Kill” — an infectiously catchy body of work that celebrates their achievements

MICHELLE is an anomaly within the pop scene. They don’t subscribe to generic genre values and instead, cut the tags off their clothes (so to speak) for a more freeing population of sounds. 

Their new EP Kiss/Kill is a dusty, fluid collection of songs racing towards a musical format needed in order to be taken seriously. It’s such a shame they have decided to hang up their dancing shoes and incredible musical talents, but here we unfortunately are.

Review: No Template Pop Music

From the get-go, Kiss/Kill opens with the fierce and socially framed Girl Is A Gun — a commentary on the patriarchal notions of a male-crafted world. Its opening is wrapped in an electronic flute of sounds as well as snares that lead us into the track. 

These sounds are the result of some serious music sessions, as heard on tracks such as Babysitting and MVP and are laced with the group’s identity. A word of warning — this time, they mean business. 

We get some acoustic graft on Water on the Floor as it takes a light-hearted approach to the studio. Get 2 U is another low-key, hum-along, catchy tune, one fit for a coming-of-age soundtrack. The same goes for the EP’s title track. 

The Verdict

The “pop” label often leads to notions of a facade and plastic construction. MICHELLE, however, shreds such perceptions as stereotyping. Their compositional ace in the hole is production by authenticity — a striking meld of malleable sound far from the clinical strokes of so-called past greats. 

They curse, they embrace their flaws, roll with the punches, producing some of the most genuine expressions of topical, personal ideas and experiences. They’re a bona fide band. We feel very saddened by their decision to split, and I hope they reconsider such a decision, as they’re one of the few good things in music right now.