An expert at making subtle, emotive music, Lontalius' (Eddie Johnston's) new track requires you pay close attention to pick up on its intricacies. There are shades of DIY artists like Alex G here in the way that subtle melodies - both vocal and instrumental - drift in and out of focus amid the wall of chugging chords.
Lontalius' voice turns the track into a gloomy detachment from reality, as it rarely rises above a mutter. For a young artist, he's already found an impressive comfort zone as a singer, and one that allows him to experiment with different instruments and production styles around it.
He proved he could thrive on a more uptempo electronic track with his CutMyLips collaboration "Mooncatch," and clearly has a strong ability to layer his voice in exciting ways.
Speaking about the track, Lontalius says: "This is an older song, I wrote it as a lo-fi, shoegaze-y demo a few years ago. It took on a new life when I started playing it at shows with my band. It's one of the rockier songs on the album and it's a bit different from what I've released in the past.”
There's a reason Lontalius has earned a co-sign from Ryan Hemsworth already, and "Kick in the Head" is another testament to his raw talent as a musician.
Lontalius' debut album is due in 2016 on Partisan Records.
