Kyra Jess – Don’t Look Down (Single Review)

“Don’t Look Down” by Kyra Jess, an alternative singer-songwriter from Scotland, is a new single where the narrator softly confronts the person who figuratively shot them from behind. This person is now trying to make amends.  At heart, the narrator wants the person to change and grow into someone better.

The confrontation unfolds through a series of rhetorical questions that ask the person to imagine different scenarios.

“Don’t Look Down” starts softly with some piano keys, soon accompanied by the strumming of a guitar.

Lyrically, the narrator asks the addressee whether they’ve ever put their life on the line. The key question, however, is the second one, which is reflective in nature. By assuming the addressee has indeed taken that risk, the narrator is interested in how the experience made them feel.

The intersection of emo and Nirvana – Kyra’s influence – lies in their exploration of relational struggles.

The piano and guitar are soon joined by distorted guitar and drums, creating a soft, grunge-tinged sound – lighter than the heavy distortion of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”.

The songwriting might have been even more compelling if the narrator had revealed more about being figuratively shot from behind.

Vocally, Kyra Jess alternates between styles – starting with half-sung, speech-like lines before dynamically shifting into full singing. This alternation heightens the emotional impact of the single while keeping the listener engaged, giving the song a lively energy. It also showcases Kyra Jess’s comfort and skill in navigating different vocal modes. Later in the track, following a surge of charged singing, she returns to near-spoken lines: ‘Don’t breathe’; ‘Don’t look’. Having been betrayed, the narrator urges the addressee to set aside emotional defensiveness and face their past mistakes with courage.

The track demonstrates high-quality production and mixing, featuring fairly well-defined instrumentation, controlled dynamics, and a cohesive overall sound.

Kyra Jess demonstrates a clear artistic voice and a keen sense of emotional expression, even if her approach doesn’t push into radical or aggressive territory. She channels influences like grunge and emo with restrained elegance, crafting a style that feels familiar yet heartfelt, showing an appreciation for the traditions she draws from while making them her own.

Score/Good. Kyra Jess softly transports the listener to the world of emo and grunge-tinged music. She elegantly explores a tricky subject.

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