In October 2021, KMoy released their debut album- The Precure Album, as an independent project. Singer, songwriter, and keyboardist Kayleigh Malloy wrote the album and recorded almost every instrument on the record, with a little help on a few tracks from some friends, most notably Beth Rivera who not only added vocals, but also mastered the album.
The Precure Album has the sound and feel of ska anime theme songs, for Princess Precure. The tracks have a beautiful, thoughtful flow as they weave through themes of mental health including such difficult and dark subjects as suicidal ideation. The album is one of the best ska albums from the last decade, as it expands the traditional sense of ska, includes non-typical influences, maintains consistent musical and lyrical themes throughout the album, and does it all while maintaining the feel of an animal theme song or soundtrack.
For anyone who doesn’t know, Kayleigh Malloy is also the keys for Catbite, a band well known for their incredible use of keys. For fans who don’t like how in your face some horns can be in ska bands, KMoy is very light on the horns, which allows the keyboard to shine through and take center stage with the vocals, but the guitars and drums definitely carry a lot of the tunes.
One of the most impressive things the album manages to do is cover “Do Nothing” by the Specials, making it very much in KMoy’s style, but not taking anything away from the original at all. I absolutely love the KMoy version, and the instrumental breakdown is so damn good, and it just keeps getting better from there. My favorite track on the album is arguably the darkest, in “Since 1989”. Another song that I find absolutely irresistible is “Body on the Floor”, but I don’t know if I’ve ever played just one song from the album, instead, choosing to always listen to the album from start to end. This album deserves the full experience every time.
In the years since the album was released, KMoy has grown into a full fledged band for live shows, and on May 8th the album was remastered and re-released on vinyl by Ska Punk International. With Kayleigh going on tour with Catbite for most of the next 6 months, there won’t be many opportunities to promote this re-release, except for a single show, with Catbite, in Queens, on May 31st. If you are in the area, this is a must see show.
Written by Gimp Leg
