Jersey Beat reviews MK Naomi’s Dream Hiss EP

Thanks to Paul Silver from Jersey Beat for the kind words!

“MK Naomi is a Boston area indie pop trio and Dream Hiss is their debut EP, after releasing a pair of singles over the past several months. The trio (Andrea Neuenfeldt – bass/vocals, Lauren Garant – guitar/vocals, and Ally Bull – drums/vocals) play bubbly indie-pop melodies with gorgeous clean lead vocals and instrumentals that are appropriately driving and can sometimes get nice and raucous. This debut EP has four songs, and every one of them is a solid indie-pop listen. Lead single, ‘Wasserland,’ has some grunge influence, with a tougher guitar sound and some gritty riffs. It’s a near-ballad ‘about thought-spiraling and trying to snap yourself out of it,’ says Neuenfeldt. ‘Sometimes the vacuum that sadness creates pulls in everything until you’re feeling crushed by the weight of existence and reminding yourself you can get through this is the only way out.’ The other three tracks have a brighter sound, with opener ‘Soft Swerve’ being a solid favorite with its loping pace and sparkling lead vocals. ‘Magic Smokin’ Grill’ is a sure summer pleaser with a nice light lithe sound, particularly in the willowy vocals. The band use the word ‘emo’ in describing themselves – ‘emo-pop hallucination,’ to be precise. And the closing song, ‘Choking Hazard,’ comes to closest to that description. It's still indie pop, but the instrumental arrangement is thicker and richer, coming closer than the others to what we think of as ‘emo.’ Regardless of the labels, MK Naomi is a great addition to the U.S. indie-pop scene, and I hope they plan to tour to the west coast.”