Some EPs are so thoroughly fantastic that you can\u2019t help but wish they were full-length albums instead. Others may clock in at 20-odd minutes but feel 20 minutes too long. Kyle Justin\u2019s debut EP, Live At The Tin Angel, <\/i>falls in the middle of those two extremes; comprised of some exquisite material as well as its share of clunkier moments, this five-track collection best showcases Justin\u2019s engaging, passionate vocals, his powerful command managing to soften the occasional missteps. <\/p>\n
Live At The Tin Angel <\/i>starts off with \u201cGabrielle,\u201d a slow-burning, soulful number replete with gorgeously evocative lyrics and sparse instrumentation to allow Justin\u2019s smooth vocals to take center stage. To the muted plucking of an acoustic guitar, he warmly croons, \u201cThe droplets upon her face \/ As they roll down to her neck \/ She prays under the night’s sky \/ While it\u2019s pouring rain\u2026 Gabrielle, you could stop rainfall \/ But the dark clouds, you haven’t learned to push them away \/ You will someday,\u201d such subdued elegance making \u201cGabrielle\u201d one of the EP\u2019s strongest offerings. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat A Woman Should Be\u201d has Justin playing to the ladies, but thankfully with less overt cheesiness than, say, the majority of James Blunt\u2019s catalogue or \u201cYour Body Is A Wonderland.\u201d Like \u201cGabrielle,\u201d this track is stripped bare to sidelining accents of acoustic guitar and bass which allows such standout lines as \u201cAt times the world will spin and create a frequency \/ If it happens to clash with the song we sing \/ I promise I will keep our song in key\u201d to constitute the bones of the song. My only caveat with \u201cWhat A Woman Should Be\u201d is the lyric \u201cYou please my funny bone, you intellectual \/ And you\u2019re sexy more than you know\u201d which toes a little too close to the line of corniness. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf I Could Fly Through The Stars\u201d serves up fare similar to \u201cWhat A Woman Should Be\u201d as a starry-eyed narrator expounds on the boundlessness of his love, boldly announcing that \u201cThe stars may shine \/ The moon\u2019s dust may be fine \/ But not Saturn’s rings or the Milky Way compares to you.\u201d Solid, if not earth-shattering, \u201cStars\u201d is still worth a spin. <\/p>\n
Before settling too comfortably into a pattern of relationship musings, Tin Angel <\/i>shifts to consider the current state of the world on \u201cAnd So It Goes.\u201d Ultimately, though, in trying to take on everything from war and religion to sexuality, the track bites off more than it can chew, and its cause isn\u2019t helped much by lines like \u201cI may not know a lot about sexuality \/ But gorgeous is the female anatomy \/ And in the world today, people have the right to be gay \/ You can’t change peoples’ biology,\u201d which, though laudable in its sentiment, is entirely too blunt to make the impact it intends. <\/p>\n
Fortunately, the relative cringe-worthiness of \u201cAnd So It Goes\u201d is overshadowed by the EP\u2019s closer, \u201cHoly Ghost\u201d; trading in the broad sentiment of its predecessor, this track instead boasts stunningly detailed imagery such as \u201cHe wipes the blood from his eye \/ And a tear replaces the red \/ The soldier says as he lay there for dead, \u2018I’ve never had the urge to live more.\u2019\u201d Simultaneously heartbreaking and breathtaking, \u201cHoly Ghost\u201d may not have gloss or frills, but it nevertheless packs more of a punch than all the slick production in the world. <\/p>\n
More than just an ideal way to while away 15 minutes, Live at the Tin Angel <\/i>is a mature and resonant debut from an artist with obvious potential. Already lighting up the Philadelphia circuit, Kyle Justin is definitely one to put on your musical radar. <\/p>\n
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