Kisschasy - Hymns For The Non-Believer (Album)

Kisschasy are one of those strangely infectious bands, their pop-rock melodies seem to hit exactly the right spot to send the energy used for that coyish smirk all the way down to your legs for a fully blown mini-mosh pit in seconds.

Being a bona fide fan, I was sort of taken back when I saw Hymns For The Non-Believer land in my mailbox. Not because it was another surprise review for me, but because I already had the album hitting spinning in my stereo! The band also seems to be one of those "Love them" or "Hate them" bands and up front, I'd like to say if you didn't like the older Kisschasy stuff, don't expect to be miraculously converted. That's not to say the band hasn't tried new things, this album is far rockier than it's predecessor United Paper People. This time they left out the softly played references to grave kidnapping for a less freaky approach of a ghostly presence watching you change. Hmmm.

'The Perfect Way To Meet' is the perfect way to start this album, especially while flipping through the CD inserts gallery of professional art.
But hey, the album cover alone is enough to keep you amused for hours. Shiny.

Back to the music, Kisschasy have figured out, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. But they certainly weren't afraid to stick some nice LEDs and a new stereo in there. They've amped it up, the guitar riffs are more daring, Darren's vocals sound more confident and assertive and Karl's drumming is really allowed to shine.

Although you won't find the lyrics in the CD insert [You have to go to the band's website and sign up as a "Non-Believer" to get to the section with the lyrics. Or you know, Google them.], Darren's lyrics are something I always look forward to. I was especially excited to read the song titles alone; 'Opinions Won't Keep You Warm At Night', 'Ugly Birds In A Beautiful Cage' & 'My Bible Is A Scrapbook'.
The lyrics touch on a wide variety of subjects such as becoming a recluse ["Cause I feel so safe hiding my face, like ugly birds in a beautiful cage"], the typical lot of scene kids running around the city bars ["They try to get up and dance but they're all wearing spray on pants"], and beating out the gloomy kids ["But I will never let the bitter things you say ever get to me"] . They flip from straight forward messages to read between the lines, making it a fun decipher.

The first single released, 'Opinions Won't Keep You Warm at Night' is quite the radio anthem already, making it's way into commercial breaks during prime time television. But as for the stand out tracks on this album, I'd say 'To Death' & 'Tiny Plastic Cup' are the tracks to get you moving and "Ghost" is just the track to soothe the senses while still having bite. It's also enough to keep you up wondering what exactly the band has been reading/watching. 'My Bible Is A Scrapbook' also gets a mention for Joel's thumping bass line & Darren's distorted vocals which give his voice a nice little growl, perfect for the songs lyrics.

I was a fan of the CD before I got this as a review and usually after listening to a CD on repeat till my dissection is finished leaves me feeling bored. But Hymns For The Non-Believer is still playing at my house with no complaints to be heard.

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