[rating=7.00]
Kyle Cox is cute as a button, and his new record The Plan, The Mess reflects that. Best described as alt-pop, Cox also incorporates elements of country and indie rock into his songs, mixing steel guitar with his smooth and sweet voice. You can hear influences from all of these styles of music in Cox’s sound, and he sure can craft a catchy song. While the record veers into commercial territory here and there, it’s a light and airy debut.
The record starts out at its strongest with the infectiously lovely “I Ain’t Been Lonely, Until I Met You”, a raucous country-rock tune that grabs you by the shirtsleeves and doesn’t let go until the very last note. As a first taste of Cox, it’s a damn fine one. “You Got that Something” is another of these livewire entries, with pulsating electric guitar and a punk rock appreciation. These are two of the best songs on the record, and considering most of the album slows down a bit following them, it may have been better to space them out a bit for the sake of balance.
The Mess is an ideal soundtrack for a meet-cute, chronicling relationship ups and downs (mostly ups) and honing in on romantic gestures and adorable quirkiness. “Honey Let’s Run Away” is a perfect example of this, a sweet duet love song that hits all the right notes. “As long as I have you by myself/I don’t mind,” the two runaways sing, hopelessly in love and ready for anything. There are heaps of these honeyed moments on Mess, including “Never Looking Back” and “Bring Us to Our Best”. Cox’s songs are full of positive outcomes, even in spite of obstacles.
Cox’s quieter, folksier tunes are strong points, specifically the simple acoustic “No Future”. It’s sad, honest and frills-free the way a great folk song should be; just Cox and his guitar, making for an intimate ballad about the human condition. “Come and Go” is another shining moment on Mess. “I may regret some things I do/I won’t regret leaving you,” he sings amidst gospel-tinged harmonies and even a bit of cheeky-sounding organ
Though The Plan, The Mess never delves into very dark territory, leaving a frothy first impression. In fact, there’s nothing messy about The Mess at all. It’s an overall very clean-cut and darling record, thoughtfully constructed down to every last note. As a debut, the album achieves a nice introduction to Cox as an artist. He’s a little bit Guster, a little bit Fruit Bats, and a whole lot of sweet simplicity. It would be exciting to see him color outside the lines a bit more in the future, and take a few more risks, but undoubtedly, he’s still figuring out who he is, and that’s quite all right.