By Charlie Maybee
KUSHYKUSH is a new pop rock band that has released its debut single “January,” which has the introspective feel of a New Year’s resolution.
Driven primarily by gentle guitar and breathy vocals, this is coffee shop music at its most simple and effective, making the most out of seemingly little. There are gentle harmonies that float in the background, bringing a collage of cool colors to the composition that cascade over the the structural supports from the guitar and light bass.
Accompanying the general coolness of the song is a sense of nostalgia that seeps from the lyrics. As KUSHYKUSH consistently refers to a mysterious “you,” he digs into his memory bank and recalls the times they would hang out and smoke cigarettes, which puts the song’s lyrical content at a general age range of high school to college.
“But I’m allowing it / I’m allowing you to come in and ruin me once again,” KUSHYKUSH sings as he moves through the chorus, gradually revealing that the titular month was a specific moment that something big changed between him and this mysterious person that he had romantic feelings for. Using this song as a moment of reflection, he notes the danger of welcoming this person (or perhaps just the memories of this person) while letting it continue to effect him in negative ways.
“January” is available on major streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Follow our Alchemical Multigenre Mixdown playlist for more great music featured on the site.
Charlie Maybee is a dancer, musician, educator, and writer based in Charleston, South Carolina who currently teaches with the Dance Program at the College of Charleston. His primary work as an artist is with his performing collective, Polymath Performance Project, through which he makes interdisciplinary performance art that centers tap dance as the primary medium of expression and research. He also currently plays rhythm guitar for the Charleston-based punk band, Anergy, and releases music as a solo artist under the name Nox Eterna.
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Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
