Essex based electro DJ and producer Kissy Sell Out releases his debut album on June 15th, and what an interesting album ‘Youth’ turned out to be. The eleven tracks that feature on this album are instrumentals or feature a vocalist.

There were several tracks that stood out for me, including the first single to come from the album ‘This Kiss’. The Chorus was very catchy, and I enjoyed the keyboard/synth arrangements. There’s also two quite strong dance tracks; ‘Essex Boy’ which is well written in a slightly quirky way, and Bubs and Bizzle which would be an ideal track to a street dance routine. Although ‘Harriet’ was a bit too long for my tastes, I can also picture this going down well in the dance/clubbing world.

Of the other tracks, ‘Through The Leaves’ is worth a mention for it’s indie/punk leanings, the addition of an interesting string intro, and its pulsing drum beats. If you think retro sits on the right side of cool then listen out for ‘Apple Jelly’, which reminds me of classic synth/pop of the Pulp/Blur era.

There are some songs I have mixed feelings about, such as title track ‘Youth’. I can’t help thinking Kissy is having a little too much fun with his synth sounds/mixing desk, resulting in a slight lack of structure. On a similar note, I enjoyed the lyrical ideas in ‘Pop Bottle’, though at the same time found the chorus a bit repetitive. Perhaps a little bit of work is needed in some areas, but this was still a quite diverse and interesting album, that definitely showcases the potential of this artist. There were moments that had me singing along or tapping my feet, so Kissy Sell Out did get a reaction from me, and in many ways, connecting with your audience is what music is all about!

To find out more about this album, Kissy Sell Out on Radio One, and his U.K festival appearances, visit www.myspace.com/kissysellout.