Kooper Kain- Something Collides Inside

With emotion, energy, and occasional moments of Bowie-esque theatrical flair, Vancouver's Kooper Kain return with their sophomore effort, Something Collides Inside. The album, featuring 17 tracks and clocking in at around 70 minutes, blends industrial, gothic, ethereal, alternative, and new wave elements to create a formula that has underground tendencies but also obvious mainstream radio-friendly appeal. Kain's dynamic, impressive vocals take a melodic rock approach with impressive acrobatics that range from a Pete Burns-esque vibrato to a strong falsetto, while the music runs the gamut from stunning ethereal ballads to upbeat alt rock, dance floor numbers, brooding forays into goth territory, and all-out industrial electro-rock.

Top cuts include the opening dramatic electro-rocker "Obsidian Tooth", the spectacularly atmospheric "You Had It Coming", also boasting some of the disc's best vocals, a beautifully sparse ethereal cover of Rheostatics' "Shaved Head", the amazing synth arpeggio-driven "They'll Be Back", and the poppy retro 80s alt rock of "Another Time". While the album notably becomes far more experimental and ambient towards the end, its straightforward rock taking a back seat to lush ethereal instrumentals and lighter shimmering pop, that factor certainly adds a bit of extra depth and prevents the lengthy disc from becoming stagnant. Granted, it's at the expense of a bit of consistency.

Overall, Kooper Kain's Something Collides Inside is a powerful album featuring extremely impressive performances, strong production, and songwriting that bridges the genre gap. Likely to appeal equally to goths, industrial lovers, and fans of dynamic 80s/90s new wave/alt rock bands like Tears for Fears and Simple Minds, it's highly recommended.