Sabrina Fallah
“Hurt” from the “Kiss is a Killer” EP
When rockers get acoustic and fragile, it can lead to some of their best songs. Here in this EP for example, while the featured song “Kiss a Killer” is a straight rock anthem that is Sabrina’s usual style, it is the stripped-down EP opener “Hurt” that got my attention.
With a simple bed of 2 acoustic guitars so well recorded that their warmth feels like the killer kiss of that EP name, this song gives Sabrina’s voice more space to emote and evoke the hurtful feelings everyone has once experienced from a breakout in a way that is compelling and convincing. It helps that the melody (which doesn’t sound like misery – as the lyrics cleverly says) is simple and heartfelt. It could have been arranged as another mid-tempo rocker, with drums/bass and electric guitars, but thankfully the production of this one was kept to a minimum and feels just right as-is, with no extra frills that would detract from the message. It’s a plea that works really well in its deceptive simplicity.
All in all, it’s a great intro to more standard rocking songs that leads you nicely into the singer songwriter’s universe, in a way that shows a depth and feel that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. Well done!
Verdict: 5/5 beards
You can buy this song and the EP on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/kiss-is-a-killer-ep/1122304628