kam singh - Chasing Shadows

Kam Singh

White Noise
self-released; 2014

3.6 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Kam Singh’s follow-up to his debut White Noise sounds more polished in a number of ways. The quality on Chasing Shadows sounds a bit better, his vocal delivery has improved and the overall ebb and flow feels more focused. There is no denying that Singh writes simple songs that revolve around basic chord structures and straightforward lyrics but for me it’s all about the delivery. Singh has an aesthetically pleasing voice that is covered in a winning combination of melancholy, nostalgia and hope. 

This is evident in the first song and highlight on the album entitled “Chasing Shadows.” The verse revolves around vocals, bass and an acoustic guitar but the hook comes relatively fast when he sings, “I didn’t know you back then cause I was chasing shadows. A sparse piano follows the chords on the guitar introducing an additional layer of melancholy while the light drum work provides some energy to the song. 

The second song “Stay With Me” while not as poignant as the first is a decent track. Singh’s vocals save the music from sounding too much like a song from Hootie and the Blowfish. It’s that guitar riff. I’m a sucker for teary-eyed love songs and  “Long Distance Call” delivers. The song contains a couple of clichés but is hard to resist the melancholy when he delivers the lines “cause I’ll save you again.”

“I Love You” is a well-written song but I noticed it sounded boxy and muddy compared to some of the other songs. The bass drum and bass seemed to be occupying the same frequencies, which end up masking his vocals. Singh gets back on track with the closer “4 Letters Long,” which is a sparse song that combines a piano and his vocals. He pours on the melancholy and ends on a rather somber note. 

Overall, this is a solid release in my book. You won’t encounter a barrage of unconventional jazz chords or a 15/4 time signature but you may enjoy the feelings the songs impose.

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