Coming to you from Boston, MA is the talented duo of singer/songwriter Ashley Sonlin and guitarist/producer Juan Carreno.
But don’t let their innocent smiles fool you into thinking they’re contestants; full of spunk and a blend of power vocals and complex musical arrangements, Last Day Kiss knows exactly what kind of contenders they are.
Kicking off the EP comes an edgy head-banging track; ‘Nice and Easy’ is a superb blend of raw emotion, edgy vocals and musical talent. Leading right off; a catchy electric guitar riff and vocals that have you totally sold right from the start. Throughout the entire song there’s a feeling of contained fire ready to be set free. The electric guitar solo leading into the chorus is the perfect touch, the climax hits:
“…all that I’m made to do, just gotta push through,
just gotta Live My Life”
…and the fire has found freedom. With a final round of the chorus and leads from the guitar the song has found completion. Juan has demonstrated how second nature runs and solos are on the electric guitar, in all the right places. The song comes full circle, and gives a power-packed track with skills much higher then expected. You can just picture these two belting this one out on stage, in full effect.
In a much softer light the two produce ‘Drowning’, a simple yet beautifully crafted piece. With just a piano and vocals, Ashley shows a much more tender side in her voice, and the immense control she has vocally. You can hear her lyrics pleading to listeners;
“hear me, listen to this song from my heart”
Not in an invasive way, but simply demanding a silence so you won’t miss a single beat. Filled with many unexpected notes, both vocally and musically, there is obvious thought to every detail. The melody leaves just enough room to be “in” the song and live the journey, without being empty. They successfully create a personal connection to the song, as if it’s being sung just for your ears only. As the song finds it’s closing, you may find yourself following the last notes of the piano, making you begin to anticipate where the music will lead, and expect the last note to fall lower on the scale; but it stops just shy, leaving your breath caught for that final release, and needing to hear it over again.
Showing yet another completely different side themselves in the last track; ‘One of These Days’. You can just feel the pure joy in this song, like she’s singing with a smile in her voice the whole time. With a very poppy and upbeat feel, you’ll be grooving along in no time. With this track they prove you don’t always need wild electric guitar solos, or sky-high notes to have beautiful musical craftsmanship and catchy, quality songs.
Through the entire album Ashley demonstrates a sort of sweet and sassy flair with her vocals, while Juan does an exceptional job musically as well as in production. The two make quite the duet, and to quote the lyric of their own song, these two are “not going anywhere.”
You can read more about Last Day Kiss on their profile here, or buy their EP here.
By Pranam Bai Richter, Head of Global Publicity, the Fish Pond
