Queen Kwong’s sophomore album ‘Love Me To Death’ hits like a sonic blow to the gut. The enigmatic Carré Callaway – singer, song writer and founder of Queen Kwong – channels the raw, frenetic energy that brought her to the attention of Trent Reznor over a decade ago, into something wondrous.
Much like debut ‘Get A Witness’, it’s hard to pin into one genre. In one breath, Callaway hits the experimental rock vibe of Nine Inch Nails and Swans; in the next, she channels her inner Lana Del Rey with delicate, evocative jams that show the true ability of her voice. There’s an industrial style feedback buzz throughout the album, all underpinned with subtle bluesy guitars.
‘Love Me To Death’ opens the album with a bang. An infectious hook and accompanying synths drive the track, and Callaway’s vocals bring a lightness. It culminates in a warming, summery track with a slightly unsettling undertone.
Second single, ‘One Lung’, follows with almost a juxtaposition. Where ‘Love Me To Death’ has a somewhat pop, feel good rock sound, ‘One Lung’ has a grungier, darker tone. There’s something hypnotic about it, be it the wailing vocals or the repetition of keys. It gets under your skin.
This is representative of the album as a whole. When you can jump from the hauntingly beautiful ‘Raptures’, a song that would seamlessly fit into Warpaint’s back-catalogue, to the nightmare inducing ‘The Happiest Place’ without it pulling you away from the record, you’re doing something right.
Callaway has said, “I may sound like Swans and perform like The Stooges but most importantly, I write like an angel”. And she’s absolutely right.
ANDY JOICE