Esther Kohl – “Wet Dream”
Brooklyn, New York-based indie artist Esther Kohl arrives on the blog with the raw and gloriously ferocious sounds of “Wet Dream.”
Pressing play invites gritty, overdriven power chords straight into your ears. Within just a few bars, it’s clear that “Wet Dream” is about to knock your socks off, and that’s exactly what happens once the rhythm section smashes through the door. The production is deep and wide, hitting with the same force we felt back in 1997, when L7’s The Beauty Process shredded everyone’s car stereos.
Kohl’s vocal performance matches the velocity of the arrangement, bringing massive Donita Sparks energy to the table. The drums are equally behemoth, reminiscent of the way Steve Albini injected a thundercloud into Nirvana’s In Utero after the commercial polish of Nevermind. For anyone still insisting that good music stopped in the ’90s, your argument is officially over.
“Wet Dream” runs against the contemporary grain in many respects, from its unapologetic, fiery energy to the simple fact that it actually includes a bridge. This is the kind of music that will appeal to both nostalgic listeners and a newer generation of music fans looking for something other than the cookie-cutter bullshit dominating the airwaves.