Single Review: Us and Us Only – Kno
Having gradually introduced themselves over the course of four EPs since 2009, Baltimore’s Us and Us Only have fluttered around with various styles, not really gaining any ground with any sort of familiarity. A gently picked guitar pattern with a soft drum and bass accompaniment is how they’ve decided kick things off with their newest single, ‘Kno’. It’s this pattern that sees through the majority of the track, with no real life kicking it into action. For fans of quaint and solemn music, this is a must listen, as it completely disregards any notion of a crescendo or injection of tempo, even when it teases such ideas.
The art of the track comes from the melding of the delicate instrumentation and the soft vocals, of which there’s an emphasised attention due to the lack of power canvassing their delivery. There’s a sleepy attitude to everything, yet it reneges any idea of laziness. Instead, it feels assured, purposeful and moderately determined. When heard with their previous singles, the sound forms a figurative, audible representation of the title of their debut album, ‘Full Flower’.
Arguably, the positives struggle to outweigh the negatives at times. The more times you listen to the track, the harder it is to distinguish between any separate section of the song. It feels like a slog to have any kind of attachment to it. As previously stated, if you’re a fan of songs that dawdle and happily swirl about in their own care free world, then you’ll love ‘Kno’. If not, you might find yourself waning in interest.
5/10
Single ‘Kno’ from Us and Us Only, as well as their debut album ‘Full Flower’, are out now via Topshelf Records.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irckTM67R1E[/youtube]
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