The pop duo Karmin switches it up for the third visual for their new album title track "Pulses," just ahead of their very delayed debut full-length album release - a solid set of pop, rap and reggae songs. If you're familiar with this ongoing story, you know that this effort has been plagued by many delays, originally intended to be released in Q4 of 2012. The Boston engaged couple leaves behind the retro disco vibe of "I Want It All" on the album's title track - opting for an edgier mix of hip hop and pop that showcases Amy Heidemann's steady flow and Nick Noonan's vocal chops.
Judging from its long delayed full-length debut, Karmin can't quite decide whether it wants to fully embrace pop with extra cheese or comment on the genre ironically. The pop duo prove to be better at tweaking pop parameters than redefining them. The bright, thumping tracks offer flourishes of hip-hop, electro, disco and retro new-wave sources. About the album they said: "We want to call it Pulses because it's kind of like the honeymoon is over now. There's good and bad. It's not necessarily everything is happy-go-lucky tracks. There's also some serious stuff. There's definitely a lot more depth in it, which is something we've always felt we wanted to do."
But Heidemann's tongue-twisting rap delivery, clever in small doses, becomes exasperating with over-exposure. The new Video may still be the act's best medium: A Star Trek's George Takei-narrated clip for the title track improves it tremendously. The stylish pair always deliver memorable videos and "Pulses" is no exception. Largely filmed in black-and-white with the occasional splash of bold color that old-movie vibe, the clip begins with mock stock footage of scientists finding a way to visually represent sound before Noonan and Heidemann appear (shirtless and with a huge quiff, respectively) to do their thing with dancers and acrobats.
The scientists in the laboratory are studying cymatics, watching the visible representation of sound as it moves through water. They, of course, throw Karmin's newest album, "Pulses," on the record player, and the real fun begins. "Imagine how these pulses of sound might affect the human body and everything around us..." the duo jump right into the song, which features quite a bit of Noonan's vocals. Heidemann raps while Noonan provides the back up and parts of the chorus. As the song progresses, however, the beats are ramped up and color finds its way into the video, tinting it with the monochromatic colors we've come to see Karmin dressed in during the evolution of their debut album.
Judging from its long delayed full-length debut, Karmin can't quite decide whether it wants to fully embrace pop with extra cheese or comment on the genre ironically. The pop duo prove to be better at tweaking pop parameters than redefining them. The bright, thumping tracks offer flourishes of hip-hop, electro, disco and retro new-wave sources. About the album they said: "We want to call it Pulses because it's kind of like the honeymoon is over now. There's good and bad. It's not necessarily everything is happy-go-lucky tracks. There's also some serious stuff. There's definitely a lot more depth in it, which is something we've always felt we wanted to do."
But Heidemann's tongue-twisting rap delivery, clever in small doses, becomes exasperating with over-exposure. The new Video may still be the act's best medium: A Star Trek's George Takei-narrated clip for the title track improves it tremendously. The stylish pair always deliver memorable videos and "Pulses" is no exception. Largely filmed in black-and-white with the occasional splash of bold color that old-movie vibe, the clip begins with mock stock footage of scientists finding a way to visually represent sound before Noonan and Heidemann appear (shirtless and with a huge quiff, respectively) to do their thing with dancers and acrobats.
The scientists in the laboratory are studying cymatics, watching the visible representation of sound as it moves through water. They, of course, throw Karmin's newest album, "Pulses," on the record player, and the real fun begins. "Imagine how these pulses of sound might affect the human body and everything around us..." the duo jump right into the song, which features quite a bit of Noonan's vocals. Heidemann raps while Noonan provides the back up and parts of the chorus. As the song progresses, however, the beats are ramped up and color finds its way into the video, tinting it with the monochromatic colors we've come to see Karmin dressed in during the evolution of their debut album.
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