The New Zealand singer Kimbra brings her own unique touch to the pop-genre with her ubiquitous musical range and daring vocals in her debut album Vows.
*This post will discuss the original release from August 2011, not the American re-release from 2012.
Kimbra Lee Johnson, who goes by her stage name Kimbra, gained recognition for lending her voice to the one-hit wonder “Somebody that I Used to Know” by Gotye. Before the hit went viral, Kimbra was making her mark as an established solo singer in New Zealand. She released her debut album Vows in August 2011 to New Zealand and Australian markets, and re-released the album with new and remastered tracks worldwide in May 2012.
Vows is Kimbra’s first dip into the pop genre, and she bravely enters the genre with a twist. She dives deep into her experiences as a young adult and creates a cohesive collection of songs about love, coming-of-age and self-exploration. Not only that, but the album consists of multiple characteristics from different pop music eras, from light jazz tones to funky rhythms to experimental melodies.
The album opens up with the intensifying “Settle Down,” a song about her mere obsession to commitment and future desires with her partner. The track is full of raw emotion and vibrant sounds as it starts off soft and minimal and immediately reaches its full potential with its offbeat cadence and whimsical sounds. It then bleeds into the next track “Something in the Way You Are,” which is a more buoyant performance. Kimbra also has a range of captivating tunes, such as the shimmering “Cameo Lover” and the more heavily-produced “Two Way Street.”
Along with bringing the heat with her own tracks, Kimbra showcases her soulful spirit with a cover by the late Nina Simone titled “Plain Gold Ring.” The song is about marriage, in which she already addressed earlier in the album, but she brings her own touch. The arrangement is a nice hint to Kimbra’s R&B and Motown inspirations and vibes, but it’s amazing to hear how the acapella and ominous elements superbly compliments Kimbra’s dynamic vocals.
What further ties the album together is the last track “The Build Up”, a scaled-down ballad that takes listeners through an enhanced journey. Her vocals are soothing as she sings profoundly through her emotions of wanting love without dealing with its repercussions. She cries the lyrics: “I’m sorry you won’t fit inside my heart / Won’t you come light the way and wash this away / I wanted love without the build up” — a strong thought to ponder on, beautifully closing out the album.
Vows remains an influential asset to underground pop music to this day, as it shows that Kimbra sought out to achieve her dream by going out of her own way. The album establishes her vibrant persona, and now fans and listeners alike know what to expect from the singer. While it may come off as a little over-ambitious and overdone, listening to Vows is a noteworthy listen because of how easily her experimentation matches her voice. Not only is she showing off her skills, she is proving to the world that she is more than just “the singer that sang on that one song,” she is an overachieving musician.
Kimbra’s strong ambition follows through in her future works, such as her majestic sophomore album The Golden Echo and her boastful third album Primal Heart, demonstrating that Kimbra’s golden personality is here to stay.
Keylee is a full-time music journalist/photographer from Houston, Texas. She has received a B.S in Radio-Television-Film from the University of Texas at Austin, as well as an M.A in Mass Communications from the University of Houston. As an avid concert-goer and movie fanatic, she aspires to create her own path as a content creator by bonding with others over the power of local music and media. If she isn’t listening to her favorite band Paramore, you’ll catch her hanging out with her brothers or playing with her husky Luna.
