Kina Grannis' Elements - Refreshing and Engaging

After hours of listening to new releases, my ears were fatigued and my head was throbbing. That all came to a screeching halt when I heard the first track of Kina Grannis' new album, Elements. 

On first listen, "Dear River" is already infectious and addictive. The complex rhythms have a groove that you absolutely can't resist, and Grannis' clean vocals sing such a hook that it's going to be in my head the rest of the day. I've only listened to it twice, but I'm already humming along.

"Winter" features raw lyrics about the disintegration of a relationship gone cold and falling out of love. She asks, "How do you know when it's over," which is a question we've all asked ourselves at some point. The sweet, gentle guitar lines seems to reminisce what falling in love felt like - this track is bittersweet, nostalgic, and absolutely heartbreaking in the best kind of way.

I'm a sucker for acoustic guitar picking, so of course "Little Worrier" sucked me right in. It has the feeling of a contemporary lullaby, but more of a lullaby for anxiety-ridden adults. "Does it change a thing, dwelling down each road of possibility?" What 20-something hasn't laid in bed, panicking that we aren't all we should be, 1/4 of the way through our life, thinking that everyone is passing us by and that our lives are somehow a waste? *cough* In any case, "Little Worrier" soothes those employment-based wounds and points toward some blissful sleep.

"Maryanne" is an upbeat jam perfect for driving down a stretch of lonely highway. After living in Texas for 4 years, I miss seeing the road stretched out in front of you - that's not something you see in London! This track builds from a simple vocals and acoustic guitar piece to a huge wall of sound, and ebbs back out again, taking all of your problems with it.

With the lyrics, "Love tried to figure the things, it's so hard - so I'll keep going through the motions," the track, "This Far," seems like a precursor to "Winter." This song sings of the quiet resignation that you find at the end of a relationship, when the fire goes out, against all your wishing and hoping, but before you give up that last fiber of hope. "This Far" is a perfect track to close out one of the most engaging albums I've heard this year.