New Jersey’s Kirkby Kiss are back with their newest LP, Four Color Black, coming out with Council Records handling vinyl and Protagonist Music handling cassettes. With this record, the band offers the listener a powerful progression from their other releases.
Four Color Black is at once the wonderfully layered and emotive Kirkby Kiss sound that the band’s known for, and a bigger level of musicianship and complexity. And we’re happy to bring a full stream of the new album!
On the band’s process in creating Four Color Black, Kirkby Kiss guitarist Shep offers, “We’re always learning, always evolving—because if you’re not, you either get bored or become boring. And then what’s the point?
"We’ve gelled as a songwriting unit over the years, and, with this record, we’ve found our common ground among the band members’ various sonic influences and viewpoints. As a result, the new songs are more complex, but they still sound like us.” And Kirkby Kiss manage to harness that cohesion and evolution throughout the LP.
“You and Me,” the record’s third song, absolutely pounds with urgency and emotion. There’s so much going on in the song, yet it feels raw and aggressive. The guitars set a driving pace that is complemented by aptly placed bass fills and popping drums. All of this is set just behind vocalist Natale’s powerful cadences. What’s more is that the song features guest vocals by Andrew from Hard 2 Kill, and even that plays into the song’s intensity. “We were getting ready to go into the studio and I knew I wanted Andrew to sing on the record with us.
"We all adore Andrew. They’re an inspiration—not just musically, but as a human being. Anyone who’s crossed paths with them knows how special they are. For me personally, this song is very meaningful. I’ve struggled severely at times with depression, anxiety, and loneliness—and I’ve even had moments where I questioned whether I wanted to go on. I credit the caring people within our community, like Andrew, for saving my life more than once. It’s a personal reminder that no matter how alone I feel, there’s somebody there who will pull me up and I would do the same for them!,” Natale reflects.
The song’s music brings the emotional hardcore sound of the early '90s alongside more aggressive but layered vocals, and this blend permeates the record. The entire LP plays, in different ways, on that foundation. And the other guests on the record develop that. The record’s title track finds vocalist Matt from Medicinal singing alongside Natale as the song’s music offers dissonant and memorable riffage. It's a powerful piece of work.
“Am I Seeing Clearly,” the LP’s final song, has Jeff from Discharge singing a verse as well. “Most of us grew up with him in Toms River—bands, skating, and general mischief. Even after moving to the UK, he especially stayed connected to Natale and Ramirez and has always supported our music. So, we reached out about being on the record, and he was down.
He wrote his own lyrics for his part on “Am I Seeing This Clearly,” and recorded them in the UK with his friend, bandmate, and engineer JP Parsons. JP also recorded the synth parts during that session,” says guitarist Shep. That’s just friends making art with friends, and it’s awesome.
Perhaps one of the best parts of Kirkby Kiss is their candor. Their music is candid. Their lyrics are candid. And they embrace that of themselves. Vocalist Natale says, “Human rights above all else. PERIOD. I/we recognize the importance music has as a strong vehicle to identify, express, and grow a community of people who share the agonies and frustrations in this so-called civilized world.
"We are stronger when we work together than on our own and despite the seemingly hopeless state of the world, we can and do come together to make it a better place.” Kirkby Kiss recognize the opportunity they have to express their ideas, and that comes through all over Four Color Black with undeniable energy.
As for what they’re rolling out to support the new record, Kirkby Kiss have some plans. “Right after the record drops, we’re heading out on a short run with our friends and label-mates Disappearances—Pittsburgh (8/6), Columbus (8/7), Chicago (8/8), and Cleveland (8/9). We’re stoked to hit the road with them. They rule—check them out if you haven’t already.
There are a few other shows in the works: a one-off in Baltimore, a New Jersey show in September for our friends’ record release, and our own record release show in Asbury Park on October 4. We’re also lining up a Philly show in November,” Shep offers.
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The pre-orders for the Four Color Black album will kick off on August 1st via Council Records (vinyl) and Protagonist Music (cassette).
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