Based in Boulder, Colorado, artist Michael Kwolek makes music out of his apartment under his surname, Kwolek. With roots in New Jersey, he previously cut his teeth as a multi-instrumentalist performing in the band Lima Research Society.
He’s more recently ventured out as a solo artist taking influence from synth pop, grunge, disco, pop and punk styles to craft his own original sound. Taking full control of his sonic vision, he writes, sings, plays guitar and synths, programs drums, records, mixes and masters and creates the artwork for all of his music.
In 2015 he released the album titled Overlord, followed up in 2018 with his fourth full-length record Masks. The following year he started to craft new material which he’s finally ready to share with the world, with the first taste of the latest chapter of his musical journey coming with the new single titled “Cemetery Days.”
Centred around a tale of two misfit teens revelling in their youth, finding solace in creating art and loitering in graveyards, the track lays down a hazy soundscape of layered guitar tones, with jangly plucked notes snaking above the lush wash of the chords. With “Cemetery Days,” Kwolek delivers a bright indie rock sound wrapped in a dreamy aesthetic and stitched with pop-focused songwriting.
Started with the swell of atmospheric guitars drenched in reverb and riding a shuffling drum rhythms, the percussion gives way to leave a drifting arrangement for Kwolek’s smooth vocals to float above. Rising from the lively fluttering flow in the verse to the lofty stretched melodies in the chorus, his voice cuts through the fuzzy instrumental tones to craft alluring hooks that pull you right into his storytelling lyricism. Flowing through an enveloping sonic landscape peppered with the sinuous lines of a lead synth and injected with slick ebb and flow, “Cemetery Days” takes you on an invigorating ride through a vivid world.
Floating from the energetic frenzy of the chorus to an elegant lullaby-esque breakdown where Kwolek’s gentle vocalisations hover above soft acoustic guitar tones, the grit of the distortion ushers in a crescendo capped by screeching and stuttering lead guitar to bring in the full arrangement that builds to an epic finale. It’s a superb showcase of Kwolek’s creativity that entertains throughout its six minute adventure and signals the exciting new steps in the unique musical story of this talented artist.
Listen to Cemetery Days below
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