Zynic - My Personal Kryptonite

The amazing debut album 'Fire Walk With Me' from Zynic blew most people away, including me. It's still an album that is played often and I never seem to grow tired of the smart lyrics and well composed music that freshened up the synthpop genre.

'My Personal Kryptonite' is the second EP/Single taken from this album with the original version of the track, four remixes of it and also the B-side "Regrets" as well as a remix of "Almost Silence".

"My Personal Kryptonite" is a track that summarizes Zynic as a musician very well. It's a love tune, but instead of an emotional heart and tears, it's a cocky tune with an addictive melody and removes boundaries of how this type of tune should be performed and structured. If you want to learn what this artist is all about, this track is a good start.

Unfortunately, the remixes are not that interesting. It seems like even though big names like Mesh and Rotersand contributed with their views on the track, they are unable to shine a new light on the track that actually works. Rotersand is going all the way in with their effort, heavily dance floor influenced and hard on the vocal effects, however, I can't really get it to synchronize with me.

The B-side "Regrets" is in itself a cute song, but here, Zynic goes for the unoriginal and makes a classical synthpop tune, stripping it from the cynical lyrics and that makes it feels to classic. However, the melodies and song structures are as usual top notch. It works well as a B-side, but here I feel Zynic has left behind what makes him so special. I like the tune, but somehow it does not feel like a track made by this artist.

In most senses, this EP leaves the best for last. The "Campfire Version" of "Almost Silence" is excellent. Stripped away all electronics and all you have is an acoustic guitar and the good and honest voice is all that is left behind, making this already great track to something amazingly emotional. It's a track you either cry to or lying in the arms of your loved one. It's beautiful in its very essence. If you are able to remove all the bling and go down to the core of a tune and it delivers, you got yourself something pure and special. Nov 28 2011