The Line of Best Fit writer/editor Pip Williams on Kyan's Neighbours.
Kyan has been releasing music since 2014, but it’s in the past year that things have really kicked off for the soulful singer and songwriter. In 2018, he spent time in the studio with disco legend Nile Rodgers, as well as recording single Lonely River in session at Abbey Road. It’s hardly surprising this month’s debut headline show – presented by Ben Lovett’s Communion at Bermondsey Social Club – is already sold out.
This year, the Cambridge-born artist has been serving up contrast, showcasing his versatility through the shadowy, dystopian Neighbours and the dizzying disco of Cedric Gervais collaboration Good Things. It’s on Neighbours that he really shines though, delivering taught, incisive lyricism over an ominously sparse musical backing. Neighbours introduces Kyan as a worthy commentator for our tumultuous times. He’s unafraid to chronicle the fear and unease of a world currently hanging in the balance, while the sheer beauty of his music marks him out as a voice that’s difficult to ignore.If you like your listening with a side order of social conscience, you’d be hard-pressed to find better.
