Vince Leigh’s Single Review: Don’t Be A Hero by Kayla Krystin
By Vince Leigh (Ex drummer of Pseudo Echo, Tina Arena and John Farnham) of Australian Radio Promotion for Sheldon Ang Media
Emerging Austrian country-pop singer-songwriter Kayla Krystin has released the follow-up to her debut single, Hey Boy, with Don’t Be A Hero. The new track is another genre-twisting attempt to blend country flavours with pop sensibilities, utilising a direct and straight-shooting narrative, a typically dynamic performance from Kayla and a contemporary soundscape that reflects the lyric’s theme. Building on past support from a bunch of media outlets, including MTV / CMT, SRN GRAFTON 1047FM, SRN TRIPLE GFM, TAMWORTH 2TM (TOP 5 – Charts), Don’t Be A Hero, covers some of the same ground as Kayla’s debut; however, it’s focus is more pop-centric than country, though the significance of the lyric retains this old-school connection.
The groove also feels less standard issue dance-country as it relies on the melodic sections to help achieve a more nuanced dynamic. Alongside the acoustic guitars, with their various tones of funk and country rock, the beats and the bass, Kayla’s vocal performance is the central force. The melodic components are quite strong, with the chorus containing three distinct sections, including those high-range sweet spots, and a resolve complete with ready-to-mimic vocal chants used efficiently throughout the song. Krystin chooses the path of thoughtful introspection here, exploring the tangle of emotions in relationships and personal ego with artful storytelling skills. Don’t Be A Hero is accessible contemporary pop that surveys an issue with ease and entertaining zeal.
As she has said about her ambitions, ‘I hope to connect with people in a positive way, to reach them on a deeper level. That my fans can feel how much music means to me and I can’t wait to go on this journey together with them.’ There is every chance that this is exactly what Don’t Be A Hero will achieve, as well as becoming the artist’s next success.
