Whenever an artist makes a complete stylistic change, it’s always going to cause quite a stir. Perth’s Abbe May has always been known as a 70’s rock-inspired, guitar queen but she’s dropped it all for a drum machine and a swag of synthesisers. In fact the first time I heard Kiss My Apocalypse’s lead single ‘Karmageddon’ I was totally shocked to find out it was May. The slur and drone of her vocals in the chorus section had made me think that someone else must have been singing. None the less, I completely adored the song. However, after hearing the rest of the album I do have a question. Why make an album full of good songs and give them totally unmarketable names like ‘Fuck Love’, ‘Sex Tourette’s’ and ‘Tantric Romance’? I mean, they aren’t totally unsayable but they do sound stupid at the best of times. Besides the names, I think that going all dark, brooding and sexy has been a good move for May. The songs are catchy in a pop-like sense but still own the original appeal of her earlier music; a ferocious and lacklustre energy which coexist. Stand out tracks for me would have to be the aforementioned ‘Karmageddon’, the “ooo” filled ‘Perth Girls’ and the downtempo, glimmering title track, ‘Kiss My Apocalypse.’ It seems to me that people are getting a little too caught up in the stylistic change and forgetting about all of the awesome, “doom-pop” songs that May has blessed us with. Perhaps it isn’t the end of the world at all…
8/10
Reviewer: Cormack O’Connor