THE PRESS RELEASE: “The most obvious difference with this record was that we said, ‘Fuck the genre labels people want to put on us.’ We never felt they fit us anyway,” says Alyssa Graham. “We didn’t want to stay within any boundaries. We wanted to just let go and explore, and it made all the difference,” adds her husband, Doug Graham. “For the first time, there was no self-doubt, no self-loathing – just gratitude, bliss, and a complete sense of satisfaction in the process and the results. We’ve never been so genuinely happy about a record.” The Jersey born, New York grown, Nashville based couple, known simply as The Grahams, have carved out new artistic paths with their third record, Kids Like Us, which was producer-legend Richard Swift’s last project before his death in 2018. With stellar songwriting and bold arrangements, the new record is a love letter to the timeless pop albums Alyssa and Doug grew up with, harkening back to a time when Brian Wilson, Nancy Sinatra, Dusty Springfield, The Ronettes and Diana Ross & The Supremes ruled the airwaves. “Perhaps we started writing this album with a sense of escapism. However, through the process the record helped us let go of the idea that we had to fit in somewhere. We wanted people to know who we are for real,” says Alyssa. “That’s what the record is to me. It’s a shedding of skin.”
MY TWO CENTS: I’ve had this album sitting on my hard drive since before Christmas, and its release date has moved at least once. Not sure what’s behind the delay, but fortunately for all concerned (including you), this retro-minded stunner is worth the wait. The husband-and-wife duo known as The Grahams deliver a roster of meticulous, ambitious and emotionally rich songwriting that touches on everything from Americana and psychedelia to surf-rock and girl-group pop. Producer Richard Swift gives them the wide-screen cinematic treatment with sharp orchestral flourishes and expansive ear-catching sonics. Toss in an all-star band featuring members of Lucius, The Night Sweats and The Raconteurs, and you’ve got a disc for big kids of all ages. About time.
