Wanting More: Kira’s “That Would Be a Lie”

What do a fuzzy indie band, experimental rock revivalists and one of the biggest pop stars on the planet have in common? That they began their careers with short releases that left me desperately wanting more. Unfortunately for me, only the pop star managed to release additional work while the other two bands faded into the ether of internet abyss.

Tragically underappreciated, our fuzzy indie band was called It Was the Best of Times and released The Hot Blood EP in 2008 before disappearing so completely that it’s nearly impossible to find any information about them these days. Around the same time, Denver band TheTitanCourageous was releasing a series of magnificent singles presaging an EP of their own, Rival the Ocean, that was never released. Then, a little more than five years ago, a plucky New Zealand teen caught my attention with a searingly catchy single called “Royals.” You might have heard it.

The brief glimpses we got from It Was the Best of Times and TheTitanCourageous were delightful and beg the question of what could have been, if only they had been able to release additional (or lengthier) material. A few years down the line, I hope I don’t find myself asking a similar question about Kira, a fresh pop duo out of London, who burst onto the scene with two singles in 2018.

Their first release, “If It Makes You Feel Better”, serves as an excellent introduction to the pair’s synth-heavy, mock-’80s aesthetic but it’s their second single, “That Would Be a Lie”, with its undeniable hook and unstoppable groove, that won’t let go of my attention. As the band is reportedly working on a number of additional tracks, I’m hoping they’ll trend closer to the path that Lorde blazed rather than succumbing to the fate that claimed my beloved It Was the Best of Times and TheTitanCourageous. That is not a lie. (I’m sorry.)