Hailing from Helsinki, Finland, koriakittenriot is the moniker of singer-songwriter Antti Reikko. The project is a blend of intimate songwriting and ambitious instrumentation, which is evident in the album’s songs.
Reikko’s influences include Elliott Smith, Neil Young, Sufjan Stevens, Bright Eyes, Nick Drake, Jon Auer, Damien Rice, The Flaming Lips and Regina Spektor. The resulting pop songs are full of detail and ambition, which makes the music sound like it could have been written by a band as grand and ambitious as Bright Eyes.
The first single ‘The Earth Will Spin Around’ was released earlier this month, and is set to be featured on the band’s forthcoming fourth album ‘Songs of Hope and Science’, which will be released on 27th January via VILD Recordings. The album intertwines Americana, indie rock and psychedelia, and is thematically centred around ideas of hope and science.
KKR’s music is a giddy mix of indie pop, country and folk with the kind of instrumentation you’d expect from the likes of Annuals, Decemberists, Grandaddy or The Shins. It’s a type of indie-pop that’s genuinely happy and cheerful, but it’s not too twee to have a serious edge.
‘Rich Men Poor Men Good Men’ is the Finnish quintet’s third release and their first with a full band, which is testament to Reikko being told to “work f******g hard, be honest and make ballsy decisions”. This album isn’t afraid to let its emotions seep through the music and will leave you feeling incredibly warm inside.