Louder Than Words (LP) (Pop) There’s not one skippable track on Kyle Richardson’s debut LP, “Louder Than Words”, a Top 40 slam dunk fresh of the presses. Preceded by singles “Fight The Good Fight”, “Anything” and “Can You Hear Me”, Kyle’s first album sets a high bar as he ventures forth to build what is sure to be a strong career. From the vocals to the impeccable production, Kyle blends a modern pop sensibility with retro nostalgia to create a record that is both very much of the here and now, but also timeless.

This Vancouver-based artist comes to us with quite the resume. Having written with the likes of Carly Rae Jepsen, DYLN and Garrett Neiles, he has also had success in TV sync placements and radio work, generating over 1.5 million Spotify streams as a guest vocalist on Bobina’s “Love is the Answer.” Also, as this blog is run by a queer artist himself, we of course need to shout out that Kyle is family. :)

Let’s start with Kyle’s vocals. After some hemming and hawing, we finally settled on this: What if Michael Buble and Sam Smith raised a child together with the sole intention of having him to replace Ed Sheeran? That’s where we put Kyle. His vocals are pure pop, showing a warmth in baritone and a punchy strength in his upper register—i.e., he has the range. Those vocals are always mixed right in front, the star of every track, with the instrumentation serving merely to boost him up. That instrumental production sits mostly in mainstream pop, each mixed with beautiful depth and richness, with the occasional detour into retro influences. So before you even get into the actual content of the tracks, this album sounds amazing.

For the most part, Kyle leans towards anthemic tub-thumpers. Immediately launching with album opener “Can You Hear Me”, Kyle evokes a “We Will Rock You” stomp and clap that permeates most of the album. “Fight the Good Fight” carries that torch as well, and it’s clear on first listen why this was a preceding single—it’s a perfect concoction for today’s charts. Now, with a voice like Kyle’s, you couldn’t not have a selection of ballads. On that front, “Perfect Crime” stands out as our favorite, a love song about a hookup turning into something more—which for the queer experience is pretty common and certainly relatable.

Our personal favorites, however, are the ones that bake in a few hints of nostalgia. These aren’t full on time travel tracks, but more like the way Meghan Trainor has a doo wop sensibility in a lot of her work. In that regard, “Fun” shines as that sort of track, which even gives us a Christmas pop track kind of vibe—it’s kind of a sleigh ride. The album delivers another retro bop with “Nice to Meet You” that gives us vibes similar to Duffy’s “Mercy”, while “Sooner or Later” is a hazy retro soul track that stands out as unique among the collection. However, it all comes together in our favorite track on the album “Everything About You”, which is the perfect midpoint between his stomp/clap modern style and his retro leanings. That one’s a chef’s kiss for us. Not that the others on the album won’t, but these records in particular will stand the test of time.

In sum, Kyle Richardson’s debut LP “Louder Than Words” is a triumph. A masterful production, soaring vocal performance and mainstream sensibility, Kyle will have no problem finding a devoted and adoring fanbase.