- Described in the press release as "an EP that drips with craving, sensuality, submission and enchantment," Kissey's debut, a collection of crowd-pleasing dance-pop songs, is rather less exciting than all that. These tracks are enjoyable but not groundbreaking—from the DFA-esque post-disco vibe of "Come Nightfall," to the dramatic tension and release of the towering synth track "Love And Ecstasy."
Initiation's purported sensuality presumably comes from the submissive lyrical theme and Kissey's layered, reverbed vocals. In fact, her voice feels aseptic, shorn of the spontaneity and passion that makes the best dance or R&B genuinely sexual. Take "Dance The Pain Away," which pairs an affectless refrain with trite spoken verses—"Hold me close, hold me near… Only you and I / The dance floor never tells a lie." "Hold Me" has more of an edge, with a squirming bassline and shinning kicks offsetting Kissey's floaty harmonies. "Fuse" is altogether more interesting, with its pile-driving rhythm and languorous, deadpan vocals pitched this way and that. The effect has a good deal more character than the rest of this rather anaemic EP.
Tracklist01. Come Nigthfall
02. Hold M
03. Dance The Pain Away
04. Fuse
05 Love & Ecstasy