March 24, 2019 – Some artists seem like they’re visiting us from another planet, bringing us sounds from our future. Kyle Dion, a singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles, may well be such an extraterrestrial; it’s as if, while kicking back on Mars, Dion heard the infamous Golden Record placed aboard the Voyager 1 spaceship at its launch in 1977, digested it, and drew from his own palette to create an alt-R&B sound that is familiar but still delightfully alien and progressive.
Dion released his debut EP, Painting Sounds, in 2016. That record showed great promise but was weighed down somewhat by the overuse of synths and beats and underuse of Dion’s greatest gift, his falsetto, which rivals that of the leading Philly soul singers of the 70’s. However, Dion has recently released his debut album, Suga, a far more organic and inspired outing that is easily one of the best R&B albums of the year thus far.
We feature here two tracks from the new album, “Hands To Yourself,” an up-tempo hip shaker, and “Cherry Blossom,” a slow-burning rocker in which Dion showcases his powerful, piercing falsetto. If you like D’Angelo, Prince, or Miguel, this is likely to please your ears. Enjoy.
By Robb Patryk
