If Kelly Lee Owens sounds like a new name, the Londoner has actually been around for a while. Long enough to have co-written a track with Daniel Avery, lend her vocals to several other tracks of his, and for her own song "Arthur," an ode to Arthur Russell, to have been picked up for an Alexander McQueen runway show.
Perhaps inspired by Owens' work with Avery, Oleic is a more obvious turn towards the dance floor, but it's not so far from the cloudy, groovy, Saint Etienne-inspired pop that first garnered her attention. Beats in the foreground might provide new functionality, but it's her skillful way with melodic hooks that keeps things interesting, especially in the bottom-end. Almost every track here has a killer bassline, whether it's the hiccupping smack of "CBM," the rippling churn under the title track's synth drones or the multiple bass attack of "Elliptic."
Her background in pop seems to helps with both melodies and arrangements. There are many layers of rhythmic elements and synths working with each other for a polished sound. And while her own vocals appear mainly as hypnotic mantras in both "CBM" and "Elliptic," "Kingsize" is a rework of Norwegian experimental songwriter Jenny Hval. It sets her sensual voice and suggestive lyrics into an acid-laced stomper that's bold and fun.
| A1 | CBM |
| A2 | Oleic |
| B1 | Kingsize (KLO Rework) |
| B2 | Elliptic |
