Honey

When Charlene Kaye's solo project KAYE was first announced on PledgeMusic, an online Direct-to-Fan music platform, possibly only fans of the band San Fermin and her fans knew, which is a shame. Charlene Kaye, now best known as one of the vocalists in San Fermin, has a voice that is distinguishably upbeat and energetic even within the band's brand of baroque pop, as exemplified by her performance in their latest album "Jackrabbit." "Honey EP" places her soaring alto within a soundscape that may remind Charlene Kaye fans pleasantly of some of the themes and arrangements of her last solo album, the spectacular "Animal Love" which was also crowdfunded via a different platform, Kickstarter.

"Honey EP" is a projection of a few facets of Charlene Kaye's personality honed down into an iconic set of images. Her photograph on the album cover is overlaid by the artistic interpretation of KAYE. The album cover itself is yellow. On first listen, the songs may seem to stick to the sunnier and breezier side of life, certainly all of it is stuff you can dance to, but the lyrics are based around self-exploration without the use of fancy, distancing language. "Honey EP" is a confessional and personal extended play that wanders in and out of maudlin territory without a pause.

At under twenty minutes, the extended play is neither too short or too long. Each song is a mixture of various styles and genres, with choral sections, muscular guitar riffs, layered rhythms and occasionally just the sound of Charlene's voice. The results are well composed pop that hearkens to Charlene's catalogue, pop rock, and rhythm and blues. It wouldn't be out of place to hear this album at an end of the summer barbecue or as a backing track to a local retail clothing store (a hip one, of course). The beats are what makes the "Honey EP" a head-bopper. Mostly, I laid back and enjoyed the guitar grooves in "Armies," "Honey," and "Porcelain." Both "UUU" and "Carry You" are earnest expressions of love with "UUU" coming from a joyful and slightly funky place and "Carry You" as a tender loyal reminder to someone in a difficult situation.

"Honey" is the break-up song most twenty somethings wish they had the guts to write, the kind of shoulder shrug you'd hand to your ex at a rock show when confronted on a first date. "Porcelain" sends a strong, discouraging message for people who would try to put her into a single category as an artist. As an Asian American female in rock, Charlene Kaye clearly thinks about how she presents herself given her multiple talents and how few opportunities are handed out to artists in general. She's been able to create opportunities by going directly to fans and I hope it generates more interest in her body of work.

"Honey EP"
KAYE
Votiv Music
$5.99 (iTunes)
http://kayeofficial.com/