SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: K.FLAY – SOLUTIONS

​​K.Flay​ 
​​Solutions​
​​Night Street/Interscope Records/Universal Music Canada​ 

Pop music in the past few years has taken a serious and sparse bent. The dark depths of pop mined by the likes of Lorde and Lana del Ray have reflected the global mood of 24-hour news cycles. But for singer and rapper K.Flay, the fog is lifting on her new album Solutions.

Opening track “I Like Myself” sets up the bright outlook of the 10-track LP. The track makes an announcement that the Chicago-raised, LA-based artist is fine with being herself. Rather than curating her songwriting to fit a marketing square or a critical ear, her lyrics declare: “You’ve only got shot/Let it rip”. As a result, Solutions is joyfully upbeat and varied. “Bad Vibes” shamelessly throws down a Sleigh Bells-like cheerleader chant with K.Flay’s quick draw lyrics. “This Baby Don’t Cry” gives bass-driven, rocker sass likened to The Kills. Piano ballad “Nervous”, stadium anthem “Not in California” and Santogold-flavoured indie track “Ice Cream” are all thrown in for fun too. What draws it altogether, is K.Flay’s inimitable storytelling. Personable and colourful, Solutions is neither an escape from reality, or a shun of the fantastical. Instead, it’s a playful frolic into what makes us simply human.

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