A Kimbra Celebration! - Part Five: Let's Make Our Vows
It's quirky, it's heartfelt, it's genuine, and it's a ton of fun: it's Kimbra's full-length debut album, Vows. It's also one of the best albums I've ever heard, and I've heard a lot of albums (in case you want to question my credentials!). It's an incredible achievement fusing pop, soul, R&B, jazz, and groovy funk together in one package. Eccentric instrumentation, inspired vocals, solid production values, and just an overall enthusiastic vibe cement Vows as the work of a confident songwriter.
The front cover for the standard edition of Vows.
Settle Down would eventually be re-released as the first single, but the song Cameo Lover would later become the second single from the album. While Settle Down introduced us to her vocal manipulations, Cameo Lover brought us the lovely sounds of her tambourine. Kimbra tends to use it a lot in both studio and live performances, giving her songs a neat, almost festive vibe. Try to not smile from ear to ear while listening to this song and watching its music video. It's an absolutely infectious song.
The official music video for Cameo Lover.
Now, it's clear that Kimbra had intended for Vows to include a multitude of different styles, and you can see that she was no longer performing a lot of acoustic numbers. However, Kimbra wrote many of these songs with the same approaches that inspired her earlier work on the guitar. Let us look at a song on the album called Wandering Limbs, which features Sam Lawrence. The version below is a stripped down, acoustic version played live. You'll notice that Kimbra likes to use a combination of chords, including seventh, ninth, major, and minor chords, while also using her vocals as their own unique instrument, giving them room to explore within the music. This shows an evolutionary link in how she used to write songs on guitar with how she had written them for her first record!
Kimbra and Sam Lawrence perform Wandering Limbs in Sideshow Alley.
There are so many powerhouse songs on Vows and they each possess a distinct flavour. The brooding, romantic intensity of Old Flame, the jazz-pop swing of Good Intent, the wild excitement of Come Into My Head, etc., etc. Every single song on this record is something different to experience, yet, they all truly belong as part of the same whole. I want to talk about every song, but it would take a long time for me to get through them all. Especially considering the fact that the deluxe version of the album includes a total of 18 songs. But make no mistake about it, each one of those 18 songs needs to heard!
When I first discovered Vows, I knew that I had found something, and someone, quite special. Even though this isn't the end of my celebration of Kimbra quite yet, this is where my fascination began. I am thrilled that I am able to share my thoughts and feelings on an album that changed everything for me with regards to how I view music and artistry in general. As you can tell, I have nothing but positive remarks about Vows, and this is just the beginning for Kimbra!
After many years of hard work, evolving her songwriting skills, and experimenting in music production/instrumentation, Kimbra had a terrific, successful album and a Grammy to her name. It's also worth mentioning that she did win other awards, including Best Female Artist at the ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) awards in 2011 and 2012, as well as six awards at the New Zealand Music Awards, also in 2011 and 2012.
It had been a big time for Kimbra, but she is a true artist, and would only keep moving forward. Which is what we're going to do. However, if you're reading this and you still haven't heard Vows, then be sure to do so! You won't regret it!
Kimbra performing Good Intent (top) and Two Way Street (bottom) live at Sing Sing Studios.
