“Putting our talents together to glorify the Lord! Married guitar and voice duo! Best friends creating music that we love and hear inside of our heads!”
June 14, 2015, today I am reviewing The Polk Duo EP. Kasey and Myranda Polk are a guitar/vocalist duo coming from High Point, NC. Registered with ASCAP and BMI, it is safe to say the Polk Duo has/have definitely mastered “their sound”. Acoustic, clean, Christ-centered, neo-soul explains the Polk Duo so perfectly yet does not fully define them or their music (at least not completely). A consistently flawless vocal range from Myranda and excellent, professional play from the guitarist Kasey made the EP enjoyable to listen to but also made certain deficiencies stand out. Overall the Polk Duo EP is well worth a listen and the first of many albums to come.
Any Day
Incredibly smooth start. Myrandas vocals immediately command total attention but Kasey remains consistent with his play which forces one to appreciate them both. This, sonically is the best song on the EP. It is the perfect balance of the duo’s skills and neither is overshadowed by the other. This song is an undeniable hit and exits just as smoothly as it enters. [ ⅘ Stars ]
Almost There
Another hypnotically smooth melody. There’s a slight clash in styles between the two to represent what i feel like is frustration to help the listener understand the passion the vocalist has for life and its obstacles. God is obviously the inspiration and motivation to continue pushing in life but it doesn’t take divinity to enjoy this soulful track. I do feel like a chorus or a chorus effect would help the vocalist especially towards the big finish. [ ⅗ Stars ]
Stop Talking
Lyrically this is my favorite song on the EP. The guitarist and vocalist sonically sync similar to the first song and it sounds simply superb. Unfortunately too much more can’t be said for this track. It seamlessly falls in line with their sound and style so if one enjoyed the previous track, “Stop Talking” is more of the same. The delivery of the message behind the music is its most aggressive on this record. [ ⅗ Stars ]
Help Me Lose My Mind
Kasey’s mastery of his instrument is on full display. This was a great closing track because it saves the duo’s EP from the, while enjoyable, monotony of their style. There’s an excellent breakdown in this song and steadily Myranda takes over with her angelic voice. [ ⅗ Stars ]
I give the Polk Duo EP a 4 out of 5 stars. The combination of Kasey and Myranda can be so musically in-tune at times it almost seems like one person. Their fusion neo soul and spoken word, laced with Christian themed lyrics is original and refreshing. As far as their skill set as musicians, there’s no argument in the “star” potential from these two. The lyrics may be clean enough for a child but in no way is their music “kiddy”. I have very few criticisms for this EP. While i enjoyed it sonically this 4 track EP does not show a wide range of diversity. Occasionally another instrument(s) or back up vocalist(s) would help. A lot of todays music can be overly synthetic so the duo’s acoustic sound is appreciated but a few slight recording/mix/mastering modifications to at least one of the tracks would have been nice. The Polk Duo has a sound all their own and this writer hopes to hear much, much more.
Check out the Polk Duo EP below and let us know what you think.
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