Kids and Chemicals – ‘After Life’ (album stream) (premiere)

Kids and Chemicals combine the cerebral workings of electronic soundscapes with an unbridled affection for anthemic rock ‘n’ roll on their latest LP, After Life.

Expanding from a sibling duo into a four piece electro-rock quintet over the years, the Springfield-based artists’ ambitious latest project is centered around the concept of a drug-addled lover who considers going to quite literal otherworldly lengths to see his partner again. Aurally, the album invokes a medley of influences ranging from gritty rock, to modern and retro electronic callbacks, and even an acoustic-centric pop strummer to top things off.

“This album is a result of a couple years of both of us writing about death and attempting to compile the results into a musical narrative,” says co-lead Patrick Carney. “We put Liz’s vocals much more in the forefront of this album than we had in the past, and really built the songs around her voice rather than just using her voice as another musical element as we had done in the past.”