Over the last couple of years, Alternative Pop has emerged as one of my favorite genres of music. It feels like as artists become more confident in drifting away from making music with major record labels(which can shackle them into making certain and generic types of Pop music), the genre has become extremely eclectic and diverse. While I was growing up, when I would think about Pop music, I would think about a few artists in particular who made cookie-cutter music that did not move the needle or stir the pot in any way. Over the last ten years or so, this has completely changed, with tons of great Independent Pop artists making songs that take inspiration from literally any and all different genres and styles of music. One Indie-Pop artist who has taken off over the last couple of years and seems destined for superstardom is Sarah Kinsley. Sarah has an extensive background in music, studying music theory at Columbia University and participating in youth orchestras and A Capella groups growing up. She has always made a point to write and produce all of her own music, as she realizes that there is a major lack of representation by females in the music production world and wants to help change that fact. After releasing a couple of stand-alone singles, Sarah Kinsley released her first EP, The Fall, back in 2020, She followed this project up with her EP The King in 2021, with the title track of this project going viral on TikTok. The King ended up making year-end lists for multiple major music publications, cementing her as one of the most exciting Alternative Pop artists to watch. In 2022, Sarah Kinsley released her EP Cypress, which was also critically acclaimed and further pushed the idea that she is a rising artist that everyone needs to watch. At the beginning of the summer, Sarah Kinsley released her third EP in three years, Ascension. This is an EP that any fan of Alternative Pop should have been looking forward to, as Sarah Kinsley is an emerging artist who is quickly making tons of waves in the genre. Here is how I feel about this new EP from Sarah Kinsley. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from Ascension, and also comment on how you feel about the EP as a whole.
‘Oh No Darling!’ was the first single released in anticipation of this EP, coming out back in April. This song immediately makes me think of 80s Goth Music when I hear it. The track also has a bright Pop-Rock element that makes me think of the early to mid-2000s. It kind of feels like a direct fusion of music from artists like The Cure and artists like Mika. I enjoy how simple yet intricate the melody is. This melody, which is mainly provided by an airy electric guitar riff, has quirky and floaty synths and distorted backing guitar sounds that come in and out; these synths and backing guitars give the song life and add emotion to the melody. This melody is put on an uptempo drum beat that has a Gothic quality to it as well. Sarah Kinsley’s vocals on this song are deep and haunting, which contrasts the sunny sound of the melody. The way her vocals sit on this track gives the song a heavy feeling, which makes it so interesting considering how brilliant the instrumental is. On ‘Oh No Darling!,’ Sarah Kinsley is singing about growing up and realizing that life is not as easy and nice as it seems when you are a kid. ‘Black Horse’ is a song with a completely different song and style than the one that precedes it. Whereas that song feels like a Gothic Pop Rock kickback track, this feels like an Anthemic ballad with elements of 80s Stadium Rock and Synth Pop. It feels just as inspired by artists like Whitesnake or Bon Jovi as it feels inspired by Madonna. The verses have a Stadium Rock sound and the hooks have a Synth-Pop. These verses are driven by a piano riff and guitar riff put on top of a deliberate Rock drum beat, and the choruses consist of colorful synths that are put over a quick Pop beat. This diversity in the instrumental keeps the listener on their toes, as the energy level of the listener will change as the sound of the song changes. Sarah Kinsley’s vocals on this track are light and high-pitched, fitting the triumphant energy of the melody. In ‘Black Horse,’ Sarah Kinsley is singing about growing up and feeling like she is held back by the expectations set on her by those people of authority in her life. Sarah Kinsley slows things down and shows a softer side in the song ‘Ascension.’ This is an Acoustic Pop song with a classical feeling to it. There is something about the melody of this song that feels timeless. This melody, which is provided by a complex piano riff that is complemented and showered with saturated synths that come in and out, is very beautiful and melancholy. There is something about this melody that feels uplifting and downtrodden at the same time. It is the kind of melody that can make you feel good as a listener but can also make you think about some of your shortcomings. Sarah Kinsley’s vocals add to the heavy feeling that the melody has. Her full, husky vocals on this track make the instrumental feel even more looming and all-encompassing; they add an element to the song that takes its sentimentality over the top. On ‘Ascension,’ Sarah Kinsley is singing about a relationship she remembers that had a profound effect on her. As much as she may want to, she can not shake the feelings that she has for this person.
‘Lovegod’ is the second single that was released from this EP, having come out back in ‘May.’ This song has a sound that makes me think of the piano-driven Pop-Rock that was big in the late 2000s. When I hear ‘Lovegod,’ I immediately think of artists like Sarah Bareilles or Ingrid Michaelson. There is also something about this song that has a Gothic feeling as well. The piano melody and synths that drive the melody are complemented by a light and atmospheric guitar riff that once again reminds me of The Cure. I like how this instrumental takes influence from such two different styles of music, as it gives it a level of complexity that makes it stand out and pop. Out of all of the vocal performances on this EP, the one of ‘Lovegod’ is the most understated. It feels like the instrumental drowns out the vocals on ‘Lovegod.’ This is not necessarily a bad thing, though, because the instrumental is so luscious and enjoyable. On ‘Lovegod,’ Sarah Kinsley is singing about trying to find a lover to heal the emptiness inside her. She is feeling lonely and unconfident and needs a stranger to help her get rid of that. Sarah Kinsley closes out this EP with the song ‘Sliver of Time.’ This is probably the most lively and large song on the project, so it works perfectly as a closer. ‘Sliver of Time’ is a track that feels retro and ultramodern at the same time. It is like a futuristic version of an 80s New Wave song with a bit of a Dream-Pop element sprinkled on top. The synths that drive the melody have a tone that makes me think of New Wave music, but a saturation and distortion that makes me think of Hyperpop. The beat for this song is deliberate and calm, giving the song a hazy feeling that I like a lot. ‘Sliver of Time’ contains the best vocal performance of the project in my opinion. Sarah Kinsley demonstrates her range on this track, hitting high and low notes that give the song such a full feeling. In ‘Sliver of Time,’ Sarah is singing about how it seems like love is not an infinite feeling. In her experience, love has always been fleeting; it is a flash in the pan that makes her feel great in the moment. ‘Sliver of Time’ is an epic track with a deep sound and a deep meaning that serves as an awesome way to bring this EP to an end.
Over the last couple of years, Sarah Kinsley has emerged as one of the most interesting and exciting acts coming up in the Alternative Pop scene. She is a musician who obviously draws influence from so many different kinds of artists throughout music history, as it is easy to hear this in her music. Her new EP Ascension, shows a diversity in her artistry that is so riveting and fun. It is amazing how eclectic the sound is on this five-song project. It really does feel like there is something for so many different kinds of Pop(and music fans in general) on Ascension; if anything, this EP shows Sarah Kinsley’s ability to appeal to a wide range of listeners and make music that can draw fans from a lot of different walks of life. Ascension is a high-quality EP that shows how massive Sarah Kinsley’s potential is, and it makes me excited to keep following her and see what she does as she continues to develop and shine.
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