Kaeley Jade
A killer voice, “Beneath the Lies”
Edmonton based artist Kaeley Jade is way more than just a singer/songwriter. She’s an award-winning multidisciplinary artist with accomplished works on the musical stage, theatrical stage, and film. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Acting from the University of Alberta , and as a Métis, is actively involved with the Indigenous peoples around the Red and Saskatchewan rivers. This year will also be her second as the Festival Director of the Ukrainian Village Music Fest. We have no idea where she finds the time to crank out killer jams like this one, “Beneath the Lies,” but we’re glad she does - here’s our review.
VOICE - Her vocals have the softness and fullness of Sarah McLachlan and Sara Bareilles, the punch and grit of Lights and control as strong as any other major artist. She also knows how to blend in well on her harmony parts. Too many singers overlook that - thinking that all they have to do is “sing a third above.” Nope. You gotta present it differently. She does it beautifully here. Our favorite vocal section in the song has to be the build-up to the last chorus - from the break down to the belting notes where the full prowess of her tone comes alive. She hits that C#5 with ease. Not for nothing, but we also love her pronunciation. Too many singers bury the words in the back of their throat or in their nose - not Kaeley, just got great tone.
STRUCTURE - The structure is standard , with an extended pre-chorus build before the final payout. But, it’s very clever how she’s kept it different from the other sections, and, makes it different to itself as the song goes on. Every time, the way it builds into the chorus feels new (especially the sparse one towards the end with the diminished chord). The chorus itself is solid in its simplicity. Even so, it definitely gets the big crowd vibes going. It’s hard enough to write a catchy chorus, but to do it well with such brevity is refreshing. Easy to envision the crowds chanting along to “oh oh, oh oh”. Hard to choose a favorite section to the song, but we’re going to have to go with the pre-choruses - it really displays solid craftsmanship.
TONES & MIX - With the way it starts - that beautifully dirty guitar - you expect one thing, but quickly get another. Drums are huge and we love the soft, felt-like bass tones and percussion parts as the first verse builds up into the pre. When the chorus hits, the tones explode and it’s a full on dance vibe - very, very nice. Kind of reminds us of Lights (the artist). Love the piano 8th notes in the 2nd verse, and the way the BG’s sweep through each section is really well done. Great mix of live drums versus programmed, direct signal guitars versus big reverb sounds. This track is definitely radio friendly with just the right blend of current and classic tones. Well done!
Diving into her catalog on Spotify you’re quickly drawn into her superb vocals. We highly recommend you check out “Ego,” “Years Ago” and “Painless” - they’ll give you a great sense of her ability to craft a great pop song. Great job on this track, Kaeley, we’re fans now and will be looking forward to the full album that’s coming soon!