Album- Trouble
Artist- Natalia Kills
Natalia Kills is perhaps one of the most underrated pop
stars in the music industry right now. Whilst the singer has a distinctive
style and brings a fresh and fun personality to her music, the artist has yet
to set the world alight with her music in the way that other female artists
seem to be doing. Trouble is the singer’s second studio album and finds her
delving into her life more vigorously and changing up her sound a bit. Yet once
again this album has kind of skated by the mass market, only charting at number
70 on the Billboard 200 over in the US. Is this because it isn’t actually that
good a record, or are people actually just being dumb to the brilliance that is
Natalia Kills?
Track 1- Television
With the blaring sirens and clunky piano intro, Television
is a track that really signals that this album means business and isn’t going
to be a really happy affair. The song has a dramatic and cinematic beginning
where Kills asks what you know about real love. Then the song morphs into this
stomping synth pop number that features scratchy beats and a bratty vocal
delivery from Kills. Here the singer tells us of how people live their lives
just like on the television, and they face the same consequences. The lyrics
are smart and witty with a catchy hook and an angsty feel that is infectious. The
vocal performance is simple but works really well and shows off the singer’s
fierce personality very nicely, whilst the scratchy tone of the production
perfectly melds with the lyrical content to create this powerfully bratty feel.
3.5/5
Track 2- Problem
Lead single Problem once again opens up with blaring sirens
and morphs into a more aggressive, feistier pop number with a shattering rock
edge. Lyrically the track is a bit of a dysfunctional relationship song as well
as an I don’t care kind of track as the singer focuses on how this boy should
just be with her and not care about the fact that others see her as a problem.
The song is really catchy with a repetitive hook that gets stuck in your head
so easily. Vocally Kills is really great as she plays this fierce and sultry
role really well, whilst her vocals are altered a little to create both an airy
and gritty texture for the track in various places. Production wise the song
nicely utilises really hard rock guitar riffs with snappy beats for a harsh
sound that compliments the lyrical substance.
3.5/5
Track 3- Stop Me
Inspired by the singer running away to Paris with a friend
as a teenager, Stop Me is another forceful pop track with a military style feel
to the production and an I don’t care essence. The track lyrically focuses on
the singer simply running amok around town, and if people want to stop her they
can try, but they won’t do so. The lyrics are nicely quite narrative led and
feel very accessible in terms of having this almost diary entry like quality.
The vocals don’t grab you at first but the varying style of the vocal
throughout the song is interesting, with the chorus being helped by the
layering of Kills’ voice. The song features this rumbling drum beat and echoing
notes that creates this simmering but intense feel to the song that is nice to
hear.
3.5/5
Track 4- Boys Don’t
Cry
Here Kills things changes things up a little bit as this
track has a slightly more pure pop feel to the lyrics with strong pop hooks
that have a 60’s feel, but being paired with a pop rock style. The song finds
Kills telling this person that tonight she will be his, but he mustn’t get
upset when she leaves. The song is instantly catchy with a nice rise and fall
style in the vocal, and Kills feels very passionate within this track in the
way she kind of belts out the chorus. The songs sound is quite simple with an
instantly fun rock guitar riff and hand clapping beats, with the use of bells
towards the end also adding another interesting tone to the track that adds to
its appeal.
3.5/5
Track 5- Daddy’s Girl
Kills’ favourite track on the record, Daddy’s Girl focuses
on the singer analysing her mother’s devotion to her father during the singer’s
childhood, at a time when her father was in prison. Sampling Hall & Oates’ ‘Rich
Girl’, the song is smart and fun with a nice pop sheen but it is also very
personal and definitely brings to light the singer’s riches to rags life. Vocally
Kill plays this role of a devoted lover very beautifully, with a cute and
snappy vocal style that feels vulnerable, sincere and just great to listen to. The
tracks sound is simple in its pop texture but features a smart and harsh rock
rhythm, and simply acts as a light, vibrant sound that allows the lyrics to be
more powerful.
4/5
Track 6- Saturday
Night
Second single Saturday Night really feels like it kicks off
as a sort of sequel to the previous track. Here Kills lyrically addresses
themes of disenchantment and perseverance, whilst the song also touches upon
the singers living in a childhood in which domestic violence occurred. The song’s
lyrics are strong with a delicious pop hook, and the lyrics also have a lovely
confessional, personal feel that makes for a song with substance and which you
can immediately love as a listener. Kill’s vocally shows off her range and
invests emotion into the song to great effect, whilst the production smartly
contrasts the deep intense lyrics, with the song having a mid tempo, 80’s
synthpop and new wave sound that is big, bold and just brilliant to listen to.
4/5
Track 7- Devils Don’t
Fly
Described by Kills as a ‘suicide ballad’, Devils Don’t Fly
is a haunting piano led number that shows off a lovely and different side to
the singer in which she is more purely vulnerable. The song finds Kills in a
moment where she feels like everything has gone wrong, and she believes that
devils don’t fly and that she is one of those people who maybe shouldn’t carry
on. The song is lyrically sharp and nice in the way that it can have different
meanings, whilst vocally the singer shows off a softer side to her vocals and
really imbues the song with the right amount of delicacy and passion. The piano
melody and hard hitting, military precise drum beats on the track creates an
intense and dark sound that perfectly melds with the lyrics.
3.5/5
Track 8- Outta Time
Released as the second of two promotional singles, Outta
Time focuses on Kills singing about how this person is out of time in the
ability to save the singer from herself. Lyrically this is perhaps one of the weaker
efforts from Kills, whilst the vocals are simple but effective. However what is
really nice about the track is that it melds an array of genres, with a 60’s
inspired beat, new wave rhythms and a subtle rock sensibility that shows the
singers brilliantly musicality and nicely gives a bit of soul to her pop sound.
3.5/5
Track 9- Controversy
First promotional single Controversy is a bold music affair
that opens up in a similar cinematic way to Television. The song features a
more prominent pop punk sensibility and finds the singer giving us an array of
images that highlights the flaws and dangers of society that many people just
turn a blind eye to. The lyrics are repetitive with the ‘controversy, a ha’
hook, and this is something that will either appeal to you or not. However
vocally the singer’s style is really great with a deep, dark essence to her
vocals and some raspy lines that emphasises this song is really highlighting
some dark issues. The grungy rock instrumentation and tinkling bell notes
creates an intense sound that make this track a superb analytical style track
that shows that this is a singer who is also maybe out for change.
3.5/5
Track 10- Rabbit Hole
Rabbit Hole finds the singer changing up her style once
again for a more bubblegum pop sound that feels very Gwen Stefani inspired. The
lyrics of the song are repetitive and bratty, with the song finding Kills
painting this picture of her and this boy just living life and being cocky
teenagers. Vocally the song is interesting in terms of the singer utilising the
different elements of her voice to give the song a forceful and sensual feel.
The squiggly synth notes and warped rhythms create a bouncy pop sound that is
different and kind of fun to dance to.
3.5/5
Track 11- Watching
You
Watching You is a forceful, sweeping pop ballad in which the
singer addresses this relationship that has ended but she still feels for this
person and will be watching him with his new girls. The song is lyrically sharp
and Kills vocally goes a bit more powerful and higher into her range with this
track, although this does show her weakness vocally just a bit. The problem
with this track is that the sweeping synth based texture of the production just
doesn’t capture you in the way that the sounds of the other tracks have, so
whilst it is great to hear the singer attempt more of a big ballad style, it doesn’t
work as well as you might hope.
3/5
Track 12- Marlboro
Lights
Marlboro Lights is another ballad that has a broader style
for the singer that might appeal to different music markets. For me this ballad
is definitely better and is made stronger by the fact that whilst she may never
be the best at producing ballads, keeping things really pure and simple in
sound is the best way for this artist to go with ballads. The song finds Kill’s
in a state of heartbreak but also coming to terms with the fact that this is
the end, whilst she tells this person that she will still be here thinking and
dreaming about them. Vocally Kill’s intent is pure and heartfelt with her
performance nicely showing delicacy and control, whilst the simplicity of the
piano and strings makes for a touching sound to the record that works well with
the heartfelt quality of the song as a whole.
3.5/5
Track 13- Trouble
Title track and album closer Trouble is a big arena ready
pop number with stadium sized drums, ending the album on a really impressive
high. Lyrically the song is in a similar vein to Problem in that the singer
calls on this boy to be with her and revel in her mischievous nature, but here
the singer really owns her status as a troublemaker, making this song an anthem
for the youth who feel like they are trouble themselves and are maybe
misunderstood. Vocally the singer’s voice is big and grainy with a lilting
quality that feels atmospheric and passionate. The arena ready pop rock sound
is really great, and this a great close to the record.
3.5/5
Final Review
Trouble is a really great sophomore set from a singer that
totally deserves more success than she gets. What is great about this album is
that whilst her debut album Perfectionist was good, there is a definite sense
of improvement and artistic progression with this album. The lyrics are sharper
and delve into more personal territory for the singer, but she doesn’t compromise
on giving us catchy pop hooks and making the songs fun for the listener. Her
voice is more fine-tuned and she knows how to play with it and utilise it to
great effect. Furthermore, the singer’s style changes from a synthpop led sound
to a more electro rock style that suits the lyrical substance and feels more
powerful and suited to the singer. This album needs more success and I really
want readers of this review to go out and purchase this record.
9/10
Best Track- Saturday
Night
Worst Track- Watching
You
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