With fascinating soft vocals and a truly dreamy dream-pop, Kelly Truong AKA 'kelz' raises her own personal bar with her sophomore album 'A Sweet Passerby'.
Launched on July 24th, this 11 track album offers kelz's picturesque introspection, one that is populated by vibrantly polished beats that keep the vibe up without overtaking the presence of her own, almost whisper-like sung melodies and lyrics that tell us about personal longing and growth. Some tracks, like 'Memory', use the lyrical elements for their delightful sonorous effect as a complement to the beat, while others, like 'Rendezvous' carry a more nuanced, unmistakable message. This sense of meaning remains consistent all across the album, a particular meaning that feels shared even between different tracks, as at times you can wonder whether the directed subject of kelz's lyrics could be all the same person: a push-and-pull lover? A lost family member?
"I don’t know when I’m gonna die
But I’m here looking in the eye
And it’s you and me in disguise
I don’t know, but I’m gonna try"
At one point, while writing notes with the album on repeat I ended up getting stuck in a loop of words I wanted to avoid using as to not be roundabout or cliché but I realized what I wanted to explain here wasn't a sound-to-words salad, but rather an experience it reminded me of: the different bus trips to and from seeing a loved one, thinking of things you could have said, things you want to say in the future and how the rest of the day remains a surprise. I would say this can be condensed as a sensation of enriching yourself with your own experiences, and through that, acting different in the future. It's in that sort of "meta" way that I think kelz also developed this album, which as previously stated, sets a new high bar for herself with incredible production and expertise that create a fun retrospective when compared to one of her earlier singles of a similar title 'Passerby'. But I have to say, in truth it's not only for herself that the bar feels heightened, as I went back to listen to other small artists to showcase here I felt a missing piece, one the fullness of kelz's sonic renditions naturally achieves.
Just four tracks into A Sweet Passerby and 'Memory' stuck in my mind as a personal favorite, which is why this is the second time I mention it in this review and perhaps it all comes down to personal taste but I really admire how all the different melodies intertwine with one another for an incredible climax by the second minute mark, her voice creating an ambience, but also a present lead only to back away and let the guitar and synths take center stage, it's a wonderfully designed track that reminds of great Y2K electronic releases that shaped my taste in music (so yes, probably biased!).
It stood out to me that by the second half of the album we get to hear 2 songs that serve as intros to their immediate next tracks, the first one being 'Pink Bike' which in all regards serves an intermission role perfectly well by itself, with the lead-in to 'Falling Behind' being more of a cherry on top. However 'Snow' caught my attention because it leads up to 'I'm Sorry' almost exclusively and this seems further cemented by the fact that the official music video includes 'Snow' as part of the track at the very beginning. This created a whole internal dilemma for me about what is the "right" way to listen to both tracks since the first one can't really exist without the other but I can see how kelz might have wanted to catch the attention right away when playing 'I'm Sorry' by itself, sort of analogous to a radio edit, perhaps? Fascinated me all the same.
But that's right! Kelz not only made a wonder album, but also trated us with not just one but three very well produced music videos: 'Sweet Escape', 'Breathe' and as just briefly mentioned, 'I'm Sorry' all have their own unique accompanying videos. I have high praise for them, as they reflect the same level of production value and general vibe the album goes for: personal, intimate, yet longing for a public speech embellished with natural shots, colors and frankly, just life.