I-TUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/album/id1412981639?ls=1&app=itunes

The individualistic strand running through all of Kanisha K’s recording output stands out more vividly than ever with the release of her latest single “Talk is Cheap”. The song is labeled country, but it’s too tidy of a classification for my taste. Instead, I’ve listened often to the song impressed by the ability of Kanisha K and her collaborators to mix up a number of different stylistic touches without ever falling squarely into one camp. There’s strong flashes of rock guitar coming through at various points in the tune, but it’s never omnipresent and the underlying acoustic guitar and swaths of banjo running through the mix rounds out the song’s sound. “Talk is Cheap” has an authentic character, but there’s an ample amount of polish courtesy of another top notch production job framing Kanisha K’s performance.

Her vocals are better than ever. Each time out, Kanisha sounds more and more engaged with her material despite serving as its co-writer and, even if the song’s details aren’t ripped from her personal biography, she delivers them with every bit of the necessary conviction to make it sound like a matter of life and death for her. “Talk is Cheap” is written with a focus born of innate skill rather than craftsmanship, but the construction and structure of this song is compelling from the first. The presence of her voice maintains a good balance with the arrangement and the full band, including singer, approach to the song makes it her most substantive effort yet.

SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/kanisha-k/talk-is-cheap/s-Sdd6e

The writing is admirable. Working with co-writer Jane Bach, Kanisha K has employed the same no wasted motion approach to the lyrics defining the musical arrangement. Everything in “Talk is Cheap” embodies the no-nonsense approach of its title and you can hear the cathartic joy Kanisha takes in grabbing this vocal melody by its figurative throat and bending it to her will. The language has a percussive quality accentuated by Kanisha K’s phrasing acumen and further tightens each time the song hits the chorus. Kanisha K’s uncompromising message with the lyric can have multiple applications, as well, and it makes it an ideal track for fans as they will invariably find it has its own relevance in their lives.

Running a little under three and a half minutes, the song exhibits the same strong production that’s defined Kanisha’s career since her debut Joe Vulpis produced single “Oh Damn Yeah” and every succeeding release. The songwriting keeps improving with each new release and the pattern of releasing singles rather than EP’s or full length albums has proven successful for her. I can’t help but wonder, however, about the immense impact she’d likely make with a song collection up to or surpassing the standards she’s set with her singles so far. “Talk is Cheap” ups the ante for Kanisha K’s blossoming career and sets her on a clearer path to superstardom than anything before.

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kanishak0342/

Zachary Rush