Kirkley Turns Up The Dance| Posted March 21, 2014
Daniel Kirkley has ridden under the CCM radar almost from Day 1 after being signed to Centricity. Then, what little name recognition he did have seemed to fade away entirely when he moved back to being an independent artist. Yet his powerful voice and poignant songs only grew with his newfound freedom and thus he remained a truly hidden gem in the crowded music field.
Recently, however, Kirkley has felt himself called to return to the field he was studying before being called to music ministry: pediatric medicine. As a result, his musical career is being put on a sort of back burner for the time being. However, Kirkley had already been hard at work on a new EP by the time this announcement came, and so the release of Limitless still went forward.
It's uncertain as of now whether this is a legitimate swan song or merely just a stopgap until something more down the road, although Kirkley has promised that he's not hanging up his piano for good. That said, the knowledge that this is likely the last studio recording we'll hear from Kirkley for at least a good while does raise the stakes a bit for the EP.
One first listen, the most immediate thing to notice is a radical sonic change of direction from anything Kirkley's done before. Perhaps, though, that's not entirely accurate. On paper, most of these songs are musically in line with what we've come to expect from Kirkley. The title track, "Limitless," while perhaps experimenting a bit in the verses, boasts a chorus that would've worked on either of Kirkley's previous studio albums.
So what's different? Well, it seems like Kirkley's taken his established Josh Groban-esque sound and added an electronic dance veneer to it. Yes, Daniel Kirkley's gone dance on us. And the result is actually fairly engaging. Songs like "I.R.L" and "Electricity and Thunder" work well with this new upbeat sound, and ballads like "Into Your Heart" also benefit from a more conservative mixing of the piano and strings we're used to from Kirkley with the dance additions.
The new style does feel a bit out-of-place at times, though. The title track feels a bit too much like a remix of itself and the song itself could've perhaps been better served from a less liberal approach to the dance applications. Also, the 8+ minute instrumental offering "Infinity + 1" goes on a bit too long and with too little variation. As a result, it definitely slows things down to the point of becoming a "skip" track.
The song Kirkley wrote for his niece, "Ella's Song" closes out the EP and feels the most Kirkley-esque both musically and lyrically. It also serves as an emotional highpoint with Kirkley's honest love for his niece carrying the song.
As a whole, the EP takes a much more mainstream tone lyrically than any of Kirkley's past efforts. In fact, it's almost an entirely secular release. While this isn't really a bad or unforgivable thing by any means, the lack of spiritual content in contrast with Kirkley's other work does stand out.
The personal relationship issues tackled in the first half aren't particular new territory for a Christian artist, but with what Kirkley proved himself capable of on Where Healing Starts, this EP sort of stands in the shadow of Kirkley's past efforts. The title track and "Ella's Song" do offer some return to the profound lyrics, but still keep things mainstream enough to avoid attracting much of an explicit "Christian" label. (i.e. "We're gonna be like the sun / shining so everyone will know we're gonna make it / there's no tying us down / our hearts off the ground / we are limitless.") It's definitely a departure for Kirkley, but it all works well enough.
Closing Thoughts:
While not Kirkley's crowning achievement, Limitless still stands as an enjoyable EP with catchy (and now danceable) tracks that should satisfy those familiar with his music as well as newcomers. Still, given the lack of depth compared to previous releases, Limitless feels more like a fun night out than the memorable and emotional musical experience Kirkley's first records were. Still, for what it is, it's a solid offering with lots of potential to build on should Kirkley ever decide to return to the studio. Here's hoping we hear from him again soon.
Download Now:
"Ella's Song" (Get it on iTunes here.)
to add lyrics if not listed.
