Late in 2024, tropical indie outfit Kawala announced that their February 2025 tour would actually be their farewell tour. But before the tour kicks off, the band dropped The Kawala Collection, a final body of work bringing together all the music they’d released over 2024, plus a few new tracks. The album is a triumphant curtain call, encapsulating their signature blissful sound and offering a satisfying conclusion to their journey, both for their fans and for themselves. It is always difficult to see bands separate, but Kawala have shown how to go out on an exultant high.
It feels like a celebration of what made fans find comfort in Kawala’s style in the first place
The Kawala Collection feels stylistically aligned with the band’s earlier work, and the sound is mellow and minimalist in tone. Yet, this doesn’t mean the sound is bland, and Kawala effectively construct rich, layered, effortlessly calm tracks. Creating such soothing music in an engagement-filled society is hugely credible. This allows The Kawala Collection to act as a tonic for the constant distractions of everyday life. For some people, it will be too one-note or too safe. However, the purpose of the music doesn’t feel like it’s trying to do something new and innovative. Instead, it feels like a celebration of what made fans find comfort in Kawala’s style in the first place.
At the core of Kawala’s music is unique vocals underpinned with tight harmonies. Co-lead singer, Jim Higson, is accompanied by guitarist and co-lead vocalist Daniel McCarthy. The pair’s voices seamlessly blend together to create this vastness that just isn’t as effective with a singular vocal track. Through this, The Kawala Collection captures that signature ethereal quality, there is a genuine openness that comes from the unique vocal set-up.
The brilliance of Kawala’s sound is that the lyrics smoothly integrate themselves into the melody of each track
Each track on the Kawala Collection oozes individuality, and they distinguish themselves immediately, from the punchy drum beat of ‘Make A Difference’ to the simplistically bouncy ‘Good Morning’. This means that the collection will be hit-and-miss for most, and there will naturally be one or two tracks that aren’t as rousing for each listener. However, that doesn’t detract from the collection’s ability to thoroughly explore Kawala’s career.
Lyrically, the collection is hopeful and uplifting. It doesn’t dwell on negativity and doesn’t offer introspective social commentary—it simply doesn’t need to. The brilliance of Kawala’s sound is that the lyrics smoothly integrate themselves into the melody of each track. Yes, you can pick up little pockets of meaning but there is a real joy to the way the construction of the music feels much more abstract and loose.
The stand-out tracks actually bookend the collection, with the opening track ‘Time Slipping Away’ and the closing track ‘American Adrenaline’. Both feel like the most complete pieces, with infectious melodies that capture the wistful nostalgia of Kawala’s sound—utilizing moments of isolated vocals to build to choruses bursting with vibrancy and colour.
However, the retrospectively humble ‘Old Me’ is the most impactful track on the collection. Knowing this is the band’s final release, the contemplative lyrics are a gut punch, simultaneously recalling a sense of joy at the band’s companionship and facing the reality of finality. It feels like a precursor to that sense of yearning that comes with looking back on something, and gives the sense of fulfilment that although everything has an end, the focus should be on the joy that it brought. Sweetly melancholic, it is a softer note in a bright album.
The Kawala Collection is a hugely fitting send-off for a band that excels at creating a little slice of paradise. From catchy melodies partnered with playful instrumentation, Kawala are a pocket of vibrancy who have left an authentic body of work for fans to enjoy even after they take their final bow.
Recommended listening: ‘American Adrenaline’
Words by Gaby Shedwick. No use without permission.
TrueStyleMusic 