“Goliath” by Chaz Kiss

Chaz Kiss doesn’t need to rely on the depth of her lead vocal to lead the charge in her new single “Goliath,” but in terms of poetic strength, it issues a tornado that any instrumental component would have a difficult time trying to keep up with. To me, her voice is the catalyst for the greatest carnage in this heady rock number, primarily because the melodic presence it sports comes in stark contrast to the gritty backdrop it’s afforded in the big picture. It’s a hot knife slicing through grimy butter, and it’s easily one of the best elements this player has going for her right now. 

These guitar parts bring a bit of an industrial influence into the fold that likely wouldn’t have been an element of this single were they not as texturally heavy as they are. A lot of vocalists would have been overwhelmed by the implicit juxtaposition created within this arrangement, but from the looks of it, I would have to assume that this is something Chaz Kiss wanted in “Goliath,” as if to challenge herself and her voice to do things that a lot of her peers just aren’t able to, no matter how many studio frills they utilize. 

The master mix replicates the artificiality of ironic post-punk, but make no mistakes about it – there’s nothing synthesized replacing an organic instrumental part in this track. Chaz Kiss comes across to me as someone who wants to use details as decadent weapons to undermine the standard at every turn, and yet her rebelliousness in “Goliath” is controlled enough to give this hook a rather seamless radio appeal. It owes a lot to the ‘90s in terms of its cosmetics, but this is a single that was designed to connect with youth as much as it does angst. 

I can’t help but notice the brutish groove in this track just waiting to come undone, and charismatically, it never quite does, and this is largely because Chaz Kiss doesn’t allow for it to. Her entire demeanor commands the mood of the rhythm and the melodic componentry the same, and one could even make the argument that the tempo would influence the narrative here more had she decided to be a little more relaxed with the mic in her hands. The urgency is critical to our understanding of what’s at stake in “Goliath;” hence why it’s such a profound point of emphasis. 

Alternative rock could sure use a lot more players like Chaz Kiss, but until her true competition can come out of the woodwork, I’d say that she owns her scene right now with the sound she’s producing for us in “Goliath.” This is a good moment in the history of punk and alternative music in general, and I think that with the arrival of an artist like Chaz Kiss in the indie spotlight, some of her less than sincere, crossover-deemed rivals are going to get a clue that the real action is definitely on the come-up right now. 

Mindy McCall