by Scott Roos
“Art Kidz”, the latest single from Saskatoon scene stalwarts The Radiant, officially drops Friday, September 13th. Clocking in at over five minutes in length, the track, in general, has a more chill, atmospheric, borderline prog rock and dance pop vibe than previous releases from the bridge city quintet. The Tool/Puscifer influence, that the band has heavily leaned into in the past, are still evident, but less pronounced compared to what they have done before. “Art Kidz” is more of a “think piece” - a slow burn with steadily increasing dynamics and tension making the whole thing moody and contemplative overall.
Kicking off with a “drum and bass” style beat from drummer Jordan Ahmed, “lead bass” from Evan Knouse, Michael Reece keyboard musings and some tasty Adam Jones-esque arpeggiated riffage from guitarist Paul Hillacre, sonically the band sets a perfect stage for vocalist Mikhaila Anderson’s lyrics. Anderson is a poet, there’s no denying and it's on full display here. In “Art Kidz” her howls, moans and scoops work as well as they ever have in a Radiant song but are smoother and less percussive than past Radiant jams giving her words the chance to stand out and take centre stage.
“No one understands, everyone’s the same now, trying to make a name for themselves
but you can't buy back your time.” Anderson in “Art Kidz” is writing with maturity here with a bold statement about life goals and achievements and whether or not once achieved they can even really, truly, and deeply satisfy the spirit. It questions life's priorities and seems to, with the precision of a diamond bullet directly to the cranium, ask the listener to examine what really matters in life. Existentialism is the prevailing theme and as the music washes over you, you become more and more invested in the overall message. It’s a huge step forward for The Radiant and a direction, both musically and lyrically, that will hopefully continue with future releases.
You can listen to to "Art Kidz" HERE.
Pre-save the track HERE.
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