Chicago-based singer-songwriter Kelsey Montanez is back with another marvelous composition that will immediately appeal to all those listeners craving for tastefully, wisely, and expertly crafted music. Known for her outstanding songwriting and composing abilities, Montanez improves, elevates, and expands her sonic palette even more by incorporating nothing but the finest ideas and impressive musicianship. Arriving as her first piece of work in 2026, “High Speed Lover“ not only announces her debut full-length album but points out how rock, when done right, can still sound fresh, unique, innovative, and exciting, just like the first time you heard it on the radio. But this song is not all about rock. Quite the contrary, Kelsey Montanez packed it with many surprises that elevate her new sound even more. Although “High Speed Lover carries all those fundamental elements of modern rock, thanks to vividly hearable alternative and indie elements, you’ll also notice how some of the finest properties borrowed from several subgenres of pop, like dream pop, indie pop, and contemporary pop, found their way into this ear-appealing sonic equation. Besides all these elements that define the modern side of “High Speed Lover,” it’s important to mention how Kelsey Montanez spiced up the atmosphere by infusing bits and pieces borrowed from retro rock. You’ll hear how this song floats between the seventies, eighties, and nineties alternative and indie rock moments to more contemporary dream pop waters in a matter of seconds without losing consistency, balance, or vibe. Those are the moments where songwriting, composing, arranging, and producing abilities truly shine in the limelight.
The rhythm section acts as a driving force that keeps everything in an addictive, hypnotic, irresistible motion, instantly forcing you to dance to the beat. You’ll hear how all those energetic, tastefully arranged, flawlessly performed, well-accentuated beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics emphasize all the low-end notes, contribute more than necessary groove and pace, and all while keeping the remainder of the orchestrations in line. Each hit of the snare, kick of the bass drum, accentuation over the hi-hat, and splashes over the cymbals make this sonic voyage so epic that you’ll immediately put this song on repeat. Besides all these danceable beats, you’ll notice how all those intricate, vividly hearable, warm-sounding low-end contribute heaviness, clarity, and depth while simultaneously acting as a binding element between drums and guitars. Those deep, dense, warm, and heavy basslines are also partially responsible for the complexity, detail, and groove delivered by the entire rhythm section. In the meantime, the cleverly assembled interplays between several guitar layers shape a perfect backdrop for Montanez’s vocals to shine upon. It seems like each layer carries a different dosage of distortion that, when paired together with the rest of the instrumentation, constructs a luxuriant soundscape that immediately transports to a completely different realm. On one side, you have all those reverby, arpeggiated chord progressions, a noticeable dream pop influence that perfectly suits the song’s vibe, while on the other, several generously distorted guitars bring that subtly raw, abrasive, gritty rock ‘n’ roll sound. It’s nearly mindblowing how all these layers work together without overwhelming each other. Beneath all these guitar layers, there’s a barely noticeable synth performance, especially during the verses, where ambient pads give more depth to the basslines. It’s a small detail that does wonders for this beautiful song.
But Kelsey Montanez’s beautiful vocal performance is what makes this song so fascinating. She always puts a lot of effort into all the voice lines, and that’s the case here as well. While the verses showcase how her balanced vocal performance keeps everything in a calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal tone, the choruses bring her soulful, passionate, emotive harmonies upfront, making those moments so ethereal and otherworldly. She shines throughout the entire composition, making this composition hypnotic to the point you’ll have to spin it again several times. “High Speed Lover“ not only demonstrates her elevated, expanded, and improved sound but also her growth as a singer-songwriter. Kelsey Montanez has always known her sonic direction, but with this song, her music shines with wild, relentless, fascinating energy, rarely seen on the contemporary scene nowadays. From her impressive vocal performance and lush guitar, over intricate basslines and danceable beats, to jaw-dropping songwriting, composing, arranging, and producing abilities, “High Speed Lover“ carries everything you ever needed from a modern indie song. Therefore, do not miss this fascinating song from one of the finest singer-songwriters you’ll stumble upon today. The song is available on all streaming platforms.
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