Project Description

THE KITE STRING TANGLE

The Kite String Tangle Presents: In A Desperate Moment

(Album Review)

Review by: Alexandra Ainsworth

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Brisbane artist, Danny Harley, who works under the moniker The Kite String Tangle, has just released his second ‘mini’ record, The Kite String Tangle Presents: In A Desperate Moment. While the latest album comes with the same vocal soaked tracks that The Kite String Tangle is known for, Harley shows a newfound maturity and with his orchestral sophomore despite it coming less than a year after his debut.

The opening lines of first track, All About Her, provides a gentle introduction to the album—the slow-building piano delicately underlining Harley’s silky vocals. Swelling horns are introduced halfway through the song, and while they remained refrained, they hold promise of a bigger build later in the album. All About Her, while a gentle opener, leads nicely into second, equally as tranquil track, The Mess We’re In.

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It only takes a few tracks to notice that there is an obvious focus on instrumentals on the record. From the high piano and strings in the interlude to the more electronic-heavy Evergreen, Harley boasts a deep understanding of how to work each instrument to compliment his equally as delicate lyrics. Each song teases a crescendo, but never reaches a full release. Most tracks end, as they start, with Harley’s vocals backed by either piano or a guitar. It’s with these curbed instrumentals, however, that The Kite String Tangle expresses a nagging frustration that never reaches a resolution. The collection of songs is an obviously personal one, as Harley notes that “These songs aren’t designed for radio or for a festival or a party or anything else; they exist purely for expression and there’s something magical about that”.  

The horns, drums, strings, piano, and guitar (among a multitude of other instruments) work in a way that is arguably more powerful than his lyrics, which, in comparison, feel a little too easy to glaze over. While it’s not the lyric and synth-heavy content we’re used to, The Kite String Tangle Presents: In A Desperate Moment proves that Danny Harley can offer the best of both worlds.  

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