Kolb Tyrannical Vibes

A classically trained opera singer, an indie-rocker, and an experimental saxophonist walk into a karaoke bar.

This isn’t a joke set-up. It’s the origin story of Tyrannical Vibes, the playful, deceptively brilliant new album from Kolb—aka Brooklyn-based songwriter Mike Kolb—with a little help from his friends Carolyn Hietter (Sweet Baby Jesus) and Ani Ivry-Block (Palberta, Shimmer, Fire Roast). After spending four years as a touring member of electro-pop duo Water From Your Eyes while self-releasing the occasional EP or tape, Kolb is properly introducing himself as a solo artist. The album is a gem of lo-fi wonder, drawing influence from karaoke outings and cramming more melodic ideas into 25 minutes than gravity would seem to allow.

A decidedly homespun affair, Kolb performed nearly every instrument himself and recorded in his apartment, in a room so small he could barely stand up. Despite these humble origins, each track vibrates with inventive arrangements and melodic ingenuity, and the entire LP is steeped in the spirit of collaboration. Guest vocalists Hietter and Ivry-Block alternate lead and backing duty throughout, deliberately evoking the anything-goes feel of a karaoke party: “That energy of people hanging out and creating songs back and forth influenced this [music],” Kolb says. “The mix of songs and vibes can be disorienting, but when the situation is good, the camaraderie and openness is so sweet.”

That joyful preoccupation with the possibilities of the human voice is central to Kolb’s music. The musician is meticulous about harmony, fascinated by Baroque-style four-part voice arrangements, and obsessed with the idea of melodic lines interacting in counterpoint. Even at its most modest, Tyrannical Vibes never skimps on vocal harmonies. Perhaps, for Kolb, writing melodies for your friends to sing is a radical act of love. Now, how about adding these songs to some karaoke songbooks?