Stream: Le Switch “Sunday Morning”
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(from The Devil Needs a Cough Drop on Autumntone)
On Le Switch’s latest 3-song EP, The Devil Needs a Cough Drop, singer Aaron Kyle sounds like he could use one as well. Kyle sings with an extreme urgency—a vocal style that falls somewhere between Memphis soul and death metal. It’s a voice that can overwhelm a recording, but Le Switch has a tightness and a confidence that you would expect from a band that has been one of the best and most prolific live acts in the Silverlake scene. The Devil leans more toward Kyle’s mournful side, with challenging 5-to-6 minute R&B epics, effortless backup vocals and really clean production—especially on the powerful “Sunday Morning,” which sounds like a death march with the sinister organ entwined with Maria De Luca’s trumpet. Kyle sounds like he’s crazy drunk at a bar screaming maniacally to some chick that he claims he’s broken up with but sounds like he’s going to eventually call after a few more drinks. The EP was produced by the band’s drummer Joe Napolitano, and he manages to make the songs sound clear compared to their more cluttered live sound. These songs would have been perfect for FM radio—if that still existed.
—Scott Schultz
1 Brendan // Mar 31, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Best band in L.A. no contest
2 El Elegante // Apr 8, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Memphis soul and death metal? Well, half of that sounds about right. Kyle has more soul than a sneaker and the band sounds better every day.
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