Solutions
Two years after her Grammy-nominated sophomore breakthrough, genre-spanning singer/songwriter Kristine Flaherty (aka K.Flay) dialed back the menace on Solutions, delivering a buoyant, beat-driven collection of synth-leaning pop with a '90s rock edge. Bright and full of life, the ten-song set continues to toy with the idea of genre, pulling in multiple styles and influences that veer in her most accessible direction to date. In terms of vocal delivery, she's spitting fewer bars than before, but the hip-hop cadence is still there. Instead of leaning on that early style, she's experimenting with fresh ideas, not only concentrating on more dance-centric energy, but also stretching her voice. On crunching anthem "Bad Vibes," she deftly weaves her rhymes with raspy singing, all while the beats pound like late-era Phantogram. The funky throbber "This Baby Don't Cry" -- co-written with Dan Reynolds (Imagine Dragons) -- adopts a garage rock vibe, complete with elastic bass and handclaps reminiscent of late-2000s indie pop duo the Ting Tings. Standout oddity "Ice Cream" is a cute little ditty with a '90s alt-slacker vibe that recalls Santigold fronting Garbage.
It's hard to believe it hasn't happened yet, but Kristine Meredith Flaherty (aka K. Flay) is about to hit the big time. Building on her already sophisticated and rousing blend of indie rock, electro, and hip-hop, K. Flay swings for the fences on Solutions