Kyle Dion – If My Jeans Could Talk Review

Categories and the desire to profile everything we can is thrown an interesting pitch with Kyle Dion. His latest album is no longer than some EPs, though If My Jeans Could Talk charms its way through with an eight-track delight. Does this constitute the strange mini-album label which has thrown Pixey and SOFY under the bus so far? Their seven-track efforts are more than enough in length to constitute an album but are not considered so for other reasons. Dion is not actively challenging this classification – the artist oversees what their work is, so If My Jeans Could Talk is an album, and what an album it is. Their neo-soul style, as is the case for the pop-oriented up-and-comers of the last two years, fits nicely into the short and supreme qualities which unfold over a half hour.  

Heavy, heavy work which will break your eardrums if played too loudly on opener Gimmie is a warm and explorative piece. An instrumentally varied classic in the making, plenty of wildcard flurry and exceptional production plants Dion as a voice to be reckoned with. They understand the power a voice can have when dubbed with some thumps and manipulation scattered throughout. Sharp lyricisms and a wonderful range are all the rage – so it should be no surprise this opener can set the rest of this record on fire. Those exceptionally deep vocals which open Let’s Get It On bring those inevitable Marvin Gaye comparisons though where Dion exceeds is in his lyrics. 

Dion, like many before him and surely some after, has adapted to the world of undressing and dancing around – it has not changed as an act but how it is described has matured. More trust is put into the ears and hearts of listeners and rightfully so. If My Jeans Could Talk uses its overtly confident sexualisations sparingly, cuttingly and with a sense of fluid style. Those psychedelic soul movements are rooted well and have such a monumental pace to it – the smooth rhythms of Put Your Hand in My Pocket and the rest of these two-to-three-minute workings keep everything fresh. Dion has plenty of steam left over but smooths over these eight songs, richly layered and textured pieces which provide dependable style and a strong shift of tone for the genre.  

Dion cements themselves as one of the more exciting prospects of the year – and with a comfortable collection of tracks under their belt, the likes of Boyfriend Jeans and Hang Me Out to Dry slip right in with a nice grace to them. A funk groove and thick bassline are all it takes to turn heads and If My Jeans Could Talk knows it. Slowing it down with a sombre flourish on Soul Tied is not a letdown but a stripped-back change of pace. If anything, it serves as a chance to show Dion can shine without the mass of instruments in the studio. All it can be sometimes is an artist and an acoustic rush, but for If My Jeans Could Talk, the highs come from its desire to craft a funk-guided wall of sound.