The Wisconsin-based artist pushes boundaries in a soul-searching miscellany
On the obscure edges of the creative world lies some of the most ingenious individuals. This is where KennyHoopla blithely resides. Something of a shapeshifter, the Wisconsin vagabond’s style is impossible to put a finger on. He hums and harmonizes in all kinds of ways, whether it be above swaying grooves in “Sex, Money, Clothes And Death,” or capitalizing on the upbeats of “Sore Loser.” This is what makes Kenny’s sound so exhilarating. It’s comfortably capricious but maintains sentimentality–as if he were an old friend of sorts. On his latest EP, how will i rest in peace if i’m buried by a highway?, the Midwestern dreamer ascends with nostalgic introspection to an entirely new and unexplored echelon.
The first track, “thinkingoutloud” comes from left-of-field as a refreshing surprise to any listener of Kenny’s. Rather than starting off in a world he’s familiar with, guitars and claps are put on hold for jolly pizzicatos, digitized hi-hats, and a drum line adopted straight from the realm of electronic DnB. Asserting his position in the first line of the EP, he sings: “I don’t care what anyone thinks, fuck this town and whoever hates me / I’ll give ‘em a reason.” Electric pianos and fluttering synths flirt over a budding sine bass as he transitions in and out of reverberating whispers. Moving forward into the second track brings with it a polarizing contrast, which is somehow executed perfectly.
The drum and bass of the intro is left behind, for an exuberant guitar-laced ballad that arguably demonstrates Kenny at his best yet–and his most vulnerable. On this track, which boasts the name of the EP itself, jolly coos bubble into coarse screams of self-criticism: “She say, “You dress up nice’ / I feel like a dead man.” The energy is drearily feel-good, as he meditates on death over the semblance of cheerful alternative composition.
He then downshifts slightly on “plastic door,” where grainy yelps are now absent as melodic monotony and alluring chants take their place. “All I really cared about is oxygen and making friends.” Snares and cymbals crash as the pressure builds. The tempo strikes a perfect balance of stride and saunter as Kenny’s vocals go lofi to share the stage with an enchanting guitar groove.
On “dust,” the methodology of the project’s tracklist order begins to materialize. Looking back at the beginning of the EP, which was upbeat and energized, the shift in sound is calculated. It is a descent into the dark depths of the soul and its insecurities. Traditional drums are left behind for glitching strums, distorted bass and haunting ambience. Heavy on the reverb, his vocals are computerized, shifting into deeper pitches of lofi and roboticism. “This anxiety, it creeps into my home. This is really all my fault God, this is really all my fault.” Yet, to keep things cordial, his previously released hit “Sore Loser,” serves as a pick-me-up in terms of self-conversation in the EP’s storyline. “Live as an echo, learn how to let go.” When taken in chronologically with the others, it’s a reflection following a session of soul-searching. “Don’t stop dreamin’, don’t stop dreamin’,” he whispers, a symbol of hope.
The sixth track, “the world is flat and this is the edge,” comes in as a cinematic conclusion for the project. Bodacious plucks and whirring leads attack epic 808’s and orchestral hits to create something mesmerizingly apocalyptic. Over an electronic concerto and echoing claps, Kenny is laying it all out on the table. Pitched up robotic chants, bare authentic chorals, and goosebump-inducing highs–everything is here. “Little luck, little fate, alright.” As it all comes to a close, there is a repeating beration of self-awareness as the song fades away: “Hear me out. This might sound kind of crazy.”