Cykoski's no newcomer to the music world, having
been part of a successful Denver band on the cusp of breaking big but, when
those streams ran dry, he drew inspiration to pursue a solo career after
auditioning for none other than Gavin DeGraw.
“That was the trigger on the path to becoming a solo
artist,” Mike reveals. “I was in his apartment and he played many songs on the
piano; they were all so good and he impressed me. It was right before he flew
to LA to do the showcase that got him a record deal.”
Inspired by a passion for songwriting, Cykoski
embarked on his own journey, taking classes at NYU and at Julliard, constantly
learning and making the connections that would lead him in developing his own
sound and musical signature. That sound has drawn him favorable comparisons to
acts like The National and The Flaming Lips but it's still one that is very
much his own. And on Song For You he
continues to nurture it along, drawing together an eclectic soundscape to stand
alongside his cerebral lyricism.
Song
For You is undercut throughout with an element of pain, a
bittersweet thread running throughout the five tracks even when the musical
accompaniment suggests otherwise. "Load Up on Guns" gets things
moving forward first, the bright, singalong composition contrasting with the
almost militaristic and war-tinged lyric, Cykoski singing about the pain and
loss felt through relationships. He brings in some interesting electronic
elements to lend something unique while a persistent backbeat presses things
forward.
The title track follows and is easily the most
accessible and compelling of the bunch. Here Cykoski layers his solid vocal
against a subtle backdrop, an almost jazz-influenced hit of guitar running
throughout and helping to hammer home the power of the lyric. That lyric was
inspired and drawn directly from the artist's life, being the last thing his
ex-wife said to him, that he had never wrote a song for you. The poignancy of
the lyric permeates the track and even when he employs some dissonant keyboard
notes alongside, it rings true.
"Bombs Away" is a bit more upbeat,
insistent guitar bridging the track through and through while the lyric builds
upon the metaphor of an "all or nothing" approach to love, more
war-themed imagery playing into the artist's songwriting. The melody is
lighthearted but the lyric heavy as he sings, "War is hell," speaking
of the difficulty of love and relationships, the guitar blazing a trail to
emphasize the point. Such language carries along on "India" as well,
inspired by the experiences of the artist's father and his work at a missile
silo during the times of the Cold War. The pressures of the potential dangers
and catastrophes inherent in such a position lend themselves powerfully to
Cykoski's lament of love and loss, framed in a solid indie rock wrapping.
"The White Dress" is the artist's most
cerebral track as he places himself in the shoes of Emily Dickinson's lover,
attempting to pen letters back to the legendary poet. The arrangement, driven
by piano and infused with flourishes of trumpet and more, is undercut with a
sense of pain, the task of matching his lover's words clearly impossible but
his task is driven ahead by that love in spite of the circumstances. Infused
with plenty of literary references, this one is no doubt one of Cykoski's finer
tracks on the EP.
Mike Cykoski's latest, Song For You, is a solid blend of creative instrumentation and
solid songwriting. The EP's five songs draw from deep wells and present a
somewhat sad but still hopeful look at love and life. And doing so with
arrangements that continue to be interesting after the initial listen, Cykoski
shows himself to be a force to be reckoned with and is hopefully a voice we'll
be hearing from again soon.
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