ALBUM REVIEW: I Never Said 4Ever – Cyan Kicks

Finland certainly seems to know its way around a pop hook; from early trailblazers THE RASMUS to modern metallers BLIND CHANNEL and melodic rock outfit CYAN KICKS, they’ve never shied away from a great earworm. CYAN KICKS’ new album, I Never Said 4Ever is further proof of that and sees the band taking influence predominantly from the lighter side of the musical spectrum but still delivering an album that hits deceptively hard when you take a minute to listen to or read their lyrics. 

The album kicks off with a short intro in i should stop acting cool that’s perhaps overly earnest in its repetition of the phrase, but the following title track kicks things into a much more energetic gear. Vocalist Susanna Alexandra has an easy command of various vocal styles in the pop rock sphere, from powerfully belted lines to a softer almost croon. It’s followed by the equally anthemic Hurricane, co-written with AMARANTHE’s Elize Ryd, another vocalist renowned for her ability to blend heavier music with seamless pop hooks and it shows. The thumping drums are reminiscent of arena pop while the chorus blows in with all the force of the song’s namesake. 

I Never Said 4Ever keeps up the energy levels through Addicted in its stomping, danceable beat, while the chorus is once again pure skyscraper hooks. The most impressive thing so far – and indeed, throughout the album – is where CYAN KICKS are ostensibly a pop rock band, there’s far more than just one influence or style of pop at work. Dance is an important one with synths and occasional electronic drums, but there are also forays into other eras of pop. Can’t Get You Out Of My Bed recalls the similarly-named KYLIE song in its chorus, while lostboi channels breathy trance. 

CYAN KICKS don’t just frontload the album with mammoth hooks either; the closing duo of Someone Like You and When You’re Gone represent two of the most arresting moments on the record. The former might have an understated open but the chorus melody threatens to take the song into orbit with handclap-ready moments. It’s so catchy you’ll be humming it for days and loving every second of it. On the flip side, When You’re Gone is far more mellow, taking cues from the 2000s alt and pop rock ballads as it closes out the album in a much more subdued manner. 

The biggest draw of I Never Said 4Ever is, by far and away, CYAN KICKS‘ knack for smart, catchy melody writing. Songs are taught, never venturing over the four-minute mark (and in fact, most sit around three and a half), and even at 13 tracks, this isn’t a long album. Even so, it covers a lot of stylistic ground from across the realms of pop and electronic music, all wrapped in a sugary coating without being saccharine. With I Never Said 4Ever, CYAN KICKS offer an enthralling power pop rock album that’ll have you humming its hooks for days and feeling all the better for it. 

Rating: 8/10

I Never Said 4Ever is set for release on May 5th via Ranka Kustannus.

Like CYAN KICKS on Facebook.