Kimbra - "Like They Do on the TV”

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 10

Pairs Well With…Chairlift, Phantogram, Little Boots

A decade past her mega-hit collaboration with Gotye, Kimbra continues to produce fulfilling electronic pop and R&B melodies that balance mystery and catchiness. Her last full-length was 2018’s Primal Heart, an unsurprisingly  adventurous record stepping into hip hop, dance pop, jazz, and rock forms with mature command. Kimbra’s balance of weird and accessible always feels right in line and is a good sign for whatever she has cooked up for 2022. Imaginably her SXSW appearance will be an introduction to what’s next - check out Kimbra performing and breaking down her music with Song Exploder at Central Presbyterian Church on Wednesday night. (Kevin McStravick)

2012 Review: Let’s first cover Kimbra Johnson’s voice. There’s an eclectic tinge to it, reminding me of a more focused Tune-Yards at times. She’ll then drop a clean chorus that recalls the R&B greats like Nina Simone. She uses her gift to the fullest, incorporating a wide range of styles within single songs. Musically, you can put Kimbra’s sound into the electronic pop bucket, but there’s some nice curveballs into jazz, rock and dance throughout her debut album Vows, which was released four months back. Kimbra has gained some serious traction in Australia and her native New Zealand, so it’ll be interesting to follow her potential breakout in the US and Europe over the next few years.