There's something magnetic going on in "Reflection," the debut single by U.K. singer-songwriter KV Lyle, a brooding, soul-drenched trip through the hazy highs and sly heartaches of an intense romance.
"Reflection" is a song about that moment when you realize something you thought was love could've been two people whose shadows were just chasing each other. You sense that slow-burning realization in every note, the sort of storytelling that doesn't need to scream, though we still hear it loud and clear. Singing in a smoky tone that sounds at once confessional and striking, KV Lyle transports you to late-night reveries in which funky basslines throb like racing heartbeats, while slick guitar licks slice through them, much like memories inevitably do. The track drips with a morsel of dreamlike anxiety, capturing the strange and perfect beauty that comes fused to connection until reality does away with them by morning.
There's a quiet confidence about this debut. It's touchy, yes, but not heavy. It doesn't exactly strut, but it has a yawn and stretch that is rare in its unguardedness. You can picture this playing in a dim bar at closing time or, say, on your headphones while making the lonely walk home. If this is just the start, KV Lyle is one to watch closely and listen carefully. "Reflection" doesn't just unveil an artist, it puts a spell on them.