MUSIC REVIEW: KELSY KARTER & THE HEROINES – Love Made Me Do It

Label: Independent

Release Date: January 31, 2025

Rating: 100%

Reviewer: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur

It’s only the end of January and there are 11 months a LOT of releases coming this year, but HOLY SH*T… Kelsey Karter & The Heroines just dropped what is the release to beat for 2025 album of the year in my opinion. Disc opener “Are You Entertained?” kicks off with soaring riffs and leads and a fun piano interlude.  Things pull back and we are treated to Kelsy’s vocals, and I am drawn in immediately.  Karter and her Heroines have set the bar before we are 2:00 into the track, let alone the disc.  The overall vibe is cool and lends itself to a dramatic vibe the band was shooting for… then the bridge hits and we are REALLY off and running. “Daughter Of The Night” keeps the magic coming, but with a different rhythm and groove to start.  As the lyrics and verse flows to the chorus we are handed part two of a killer one-two punch that kicks this collection off.  The contagious vocals and lyric swirled with killer guitar work and a thumping rhythm section is phenomenal and keeps the party going.  “Lightning In A Bottle” sticks with the formula hammered out on the tracks that come before it, but there is something in the bass driven bottom line that gives this one a different feel while Kelsy’s slightly graveled vocal on the chorus takes this one to another level.  The underlying groove gets the foot tapping while you listen to the lyrics intently.  “Painkiller” has modern rocker written all over it while it also pulls from rock eras gone by with searing riffs and keyboards swirled into the mix for good measure… and it is good.  The tempo is charging and keeps your foot tapping, head banging, whatever you do when the rhythm takes you.  Featuring Steve Stevens, the layering on the bridge is a cool musical tryst of guitars, keyboards, and bottom end before a killer guitar solo kicks in. “Malevolent Love Machine” takes a left turn from most tracks on the disc, but for the familiar vocal from Kelsy.  The groove of the song is club like until the chorus rears its head.  While different, it somehow fits into the collection of tracks, especially when the layered vocals leap from the speakers throughout the choruses.

“Hotel Flamingo” is an absolute banger and total earworm that gets you singing along first pass through… and for hours after hearing the track.  The mellow opening lulls you into believing the rock quotient died, but once the chorus hits and Kelsey’s voice cranks into the lyric, all bets are off.  This track checks all the boxes.  This is rock and roll done right – not over done or produced, straight forward vocals, a stripped back bridge, and amazing guitar work in the mix. “I Get Off” is a rhythmic rocker that could have been ripped from a ton of 80’s rock records, but luckily this is new stuff with hopefully more to come from Karter & The Heroines.  The guitar work carries the track underneath the vocals while the drums and bass perfectly anchor the rocker.  This is another track that demonstrates the ability of the band to write hooks and catchy songs that burrow their way into your brain.  “Runaway” follows the lead from “Wild” with a song that relies more on Karter’s voice than it does instrumentation as the song opens and the first verse works itself out.  The vocal / piano duet that is the verse is a beautiful tandem of songs.  Be sure to check out the obvious emotion in the vocal and lyrics delivered through the chorus.  The song seems to take on a life of its own as if it were a dancer in a spotlight, beautifully gliding across the floor.  “Bella” is another ballad that benefits from the different textures and tones of Karter’s vocals.  This one sticks with me thanks to the beauty she conveys with her voice and delivery.  The music kicks in and becomes the perfect accompaniment for the song.  The strength of her voice as she calls Bella time and time again.

“Laser To The Heart” is a quick hit that seemingly comes out of the shadows with a simple opening and verse both vocally and musically, but as the chorus builds and hits, the song continues to build with a mainstream rock intensity that keeps this song well within the path cut by the other songs on the disc, but with a slightly different texture.  “Wild” is a bona fide ballad that weaves together all the cool pieces and nuances of the tracks that came before it without feeling the need to dial up the volume, intensity, or tempo.  I love Kelsy’s lush vocal that floats overtop the sonic component of the song without overtaking the song, especially when the guitar takes flight on the bridge while she sings lightly in the background.  “Cover You” is a simple track that seems cookie cutter, as if assembled from other songs and tossed in the tracklist.  The vocals shine through an almost ethereal layer at times.  The star of this show is the thumping bass lines that are prominent throughout the track. “Love Goes On” features more fun vocals from Karter that make it sound like she is genuinely having a great time doing what she is doing, especially when the raspy voice rumbles through as the chorus hits.  The guitar work on this one stands out while Kelsy proclaims time and time the “Love gone on…”  The anthemic chorus rolls through your head over and over long after the song has ended.  Disc closer “Superdream” takes us out on a more subdued note, with guitars that mix with layered vocals on the chorus after the verse leads us gently from the intro to the rest of the track.  There is something about the sound of the guitar merged with Kelsy’s voice all the way through this song that gives the song an ornate feel without deviating too far for its own good.  These 14 tracks are amazing and are one of the best collections I have heard in a long time.  I am spinning them over and over enjoying every minute and already waiting to hear what else the Heroines can come up with.  Now let’s hope for a full-blown tour, because I have a feeling most of these songs will thrive and grow in a live scenario blasting through a venue sound system.

Tracklisting: Are You Entertained? – Daughter Of The Night – Hotel Flamingo – Laser To The Heart – Lightning In A Bottle – I Get Off – Wild – Runaway – Painkiller – Cover You – Bella – Malevolent Love Machine – Love Goes On – Superdream

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Category: CD Reviews