Project Description
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JAMES KOHLER
‘Rhea’
Single Review
(23rd May 2023)
Review by Melanie Griffiths
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The spirit of subversion lives on in James Kohler’s latest offering “Rhea”. The melodic indie-rock song explores the relentless capitalist grind we find ourselves in and how life can pass you by without you even realising it.
The structure of “Rhea” takes its time, like a shift worker on their lunch break. “Rhea” also refers to the passage of time, with the word meaning flowing. The flow of life, the flow of the mundane and the flow of moments. But even as it feels like being stuck in the hamster wheel is inevitable, James infuses the song with hope as he sings, “Rhea, reinvent your life.”
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The production exudes a live warm feel, and the tempo of this alt-jam is low creating an overall moody and tiredness to the song. The bass guitars thrum quietly in the background and the keys and lead guitars add another textural layer that gives the song a full, encompassing sound. With James’ harmonious vocals, the song feels like it could be relatable from the office worker to the tradie, to the stay-at-home parent. It’s a message of being trapped in a world without colour. James wants to remind us that it’s better to live loudly than to exist meekly.
The Aotearoa (New Zealand) singer embraces the old alt-rock roots of R.E.M, The Ramones, Pavement and even a little of Tom Waits. James writes poetry in motion, the motion being music that comforts like a warm blanket. With “Rhea” James’ simple approach works incredibly well, this song is exactly what you need at the end of a long day or when you are in quiet contemplation.
After listening to “Rhea” we see James Kohler is a storyteller at heart and hopefully, he’ll have more stories to tell us.
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Follow JAMES KOHLER
Bandcamp – Instagram – Facebook – YouTube – Spotify
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Press Release 16th May 2023 (below) HERE
JAMES KOHLER
releases new
single + video
‘RHEA’
Out Now!
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