steering clear of the mainstream
since 2001

june 2010

review
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info opinion


Kim Kline

Self-titled promo EP

BMG Music Publishing

Genre: singer / songwriter, pop/rock

June 2006

As infectious and radio-friendly as you can get, Kim Kline is the latest female singer / songwriter to be shopped around the major label spectrum of publishers and producers. This four-song EP is the latest work of hers to be dispersed among popular media types, and it shows tons of promise - but in a mainstream that's sort of drifted away from this type of hard-working performer, will Kline really be able to carve out a niche for herself? She's got the look, for sure, and these songs are catchy pop anthems with a deliberate rock edge. "Misunderstood" is zippy alt rock with a guitar lick that sounds oddly familiar (I think a similar song, with male vocals, was on an American Pie soundtrack or something), while "Karma" begins with an RCHP-esque guitar lick before moving into some Lavigne-cum-Amanda Marshall girl rock. Energetic "Inside" is likely the EP's highlight; it's got an effective (though familiar) chorus that should find favour with any rebellious teenage girl ("I'm crying, I'm dying/On the inside/I'm falling, I'm drowning/On the inside/I'm lying, denying/On the inside..."). In summary, this is all nice, inoffensive pop/rock - but Kim Kline's success will rely more on marketing than quality of music I'd say. All the power to you, Kim.

75%

Fun Fact: Kim Kline's studio history reads like a who's who of big industry names, with connections to Janet Jackson, Gwen Stefani, Pink, Christina Aguilera, and more.

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 4 tracks, promotional, released 2006]