The heartfelt authenticity of “Talk is Cheap” is fast becoming a hallmark of Kanisha K’s songs and this latest single release will, undoubtedly, experience even greater success than her preceding efforts. It’s not hard to explain why. Kanisha K never cheats the listener with pat songs about time-tested themes; instead, “Talk is Cheap” tackles the thorny adult world in all of its complexity and depicts a situation, in concise and intelligible form, that has pushed Kanisha K over the line. It comes out like someone who’s held onto something for far too long and is letting go of it all through the purging effects of song. “Talk is Cheap” never wastes the listener’s time with extended musical passages, but the arrangement gives Kanisha just the right sonic setting for this release.
It has its emotional peaks, however. The lead guitar playing scattered throughout the song intensifies listener’s response to the material, underlining Kanisha’s powerfully emotive vocal, and the drumming keeps things deep in the pocket while still providing a propulsive rock beat that gives the song great urgency. The bass is a discreet but tangible presence in the song’s mix and acoustic guitar, along with a strong banjo track, rounds out the instrumental attack. The recording has a quality to it like Kanisha and the band cut it live in the studio and you hear that in the audibly inspired way Kanisha seems to answer the band’s playing, particularly during the chorus and bridge.
Her voice is full of youthful vigor, but there’s a level of control and ear for phrasing in her style that sounds like someone much older. Undoubtedly some are born with natural talent that seems to flow from them like a river, but other talents are required to work some to refine and develop their skills. Kanisha K definitely falls into the former category; from her first single on, she’s always known what to do, when to dial it back, and how to tailor her voice to the supporting music. Her talents in this area are never more evident than they are with this release.
She affords herself just the right amount of time to make this all work. Three and a half minutes goes by in a flash for listeners, but it has the fullness of a much longer song and some may feel even a bit exhausted, happily so, by the mounting sweep of the song during its most pressing parts. Naturally, Kanisha and her collaborators shift tempos a number of times and the song’s orchestrated quality, mindful of the potential dynamics, makes this hit harder listeners than it might have otherwise. Kanisha K’s “Talk is Cheap” is evidence for how this talented young Michigan born vocalist is rapidly becoming one of the most promising figures on the scene today and wears its heart on its sleeve for everyone to hear.
Kanisha K is on INSTAGRAM
Listen to ‘Talk Is Cheap’ on iTUNES
-review by Jodi Marxsbury