Finding your voice as an artist in the music industry, a business that can occasionally emphasize brand worth and marketability over message and musical value, is a remarkable achievement. Newlyweds and internet superstars Nick Noonan and Amy Heidemann make up the musical duo Karmin. After releasing both an EP and a full length album, they recently released their third album. Titled “Leo Rising,” it seeks inspiration from the twelve signs of the zodiac.
This record is their first release after parting ways with Epic Records back in 2014. Citing concerns about the lack of control, Heidemann explained in an interview with Billboard that they, “were hungry to try a more musically honest approach.” Karmin certainly gave us their word, and one can easily tell within the first few seconds of “Leo Rising” just how much influence Epic Records had on their product.
Trading in cheesy synths and gimmicky songwriting for shredding guitar riffs and carefully penned lyrics, Karmin completely rebrands themselves in “Leo Rising.” Karmin evolves into a more indie/alternative duo with the album’s opening track “Dance With You,” that eloquently sets the stage for the rest of the record.
Although Karmin has changed, they have maintained a few of their trademarks. This is namely Heidemann’s hunger for rapping, which is displayed in tracks like “No Suitcase” and “Save Me Now,” as well as their ability to craft infectious hooks, like within the choruses of “Sugar,” “I Got You” and “Didn’t Know You.”
The latter features Heidemann’s soaring vocals, as she sings, “I guess I didn’t know you at all/Like a bird of the prey/Out of nowhere you came/Do you always get your way?” While the lyrics may represent a relationship gone sour, they also sound like a bitter sentiment directed toward their former label.
The album also features a remixed cover of “Pure Imagination” from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” retitled as “Come With Me (Pure Imagination)” that is a fresh touch to the timeless original. The emotional honesty that Karmin described in their Billboard interview is most evident in “Along the Road,” a ballad that features folky handclaps and lyrics filled with regret. “All the words we never said/All the crazy things we said/Keep on playin’ in my head,” Heidemann chants.
The production side of the album, handled mostly by Nick Noonan, contributes immensely to their transition from pop superstars to alternative artists.
The overall production of the album, while stripped of complicated synths and programmed beats, remains true to Karmin’s original intentions of creating an album that is musically honest.
“Leo Rising” forgoes attempts to spawn chart-smashing hits like “Brokenhearted” or “Acapella” in place of a conceptual album supported by several strong songwriting and artistic integrity. While the LP isn’t exactly never-before-heard or legendary, it and its creators remain true.