Karla Bustamante, a.k.a K-Bust, is Chilean-born and later relocated to Montreal, Canada with her family. The multi-instrumentalist demonstrated her burgeoning musical aptitude by teaching herself how to play piano at six years old and guitar three years later. Her professional debut arrived in 2004 when she began appearing live in the Montreal and Toronto area. However, another five years passed before K-Bust started working on her first release, Urban Stories. Its 2012 release set the wheels in motion for everything that follows. Her sophomore effort, 2018’s Fearless, fortified her standing as a rising pop auteur.
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K-Bust’s new opus Rebirth strengthens such claims. The ten-track opus expands K-Bust’s songwriting purview in ways admittedly fine predecessors never matched. Her affinity for synth/electro-pop has developed to such a degree that style and substance go hand-in-hand throughout the track listing, and there isn’t a single track included on Rebirth that even remotely qualifies as a dud. It’s a thoroughly entertaining experience.
The synthesizer swell opening the album sets “Stronger” up nicely. This personal testimony about withstanding life’s challenges is expertly crafted and brimming with passion. “Stronger” likewise boasts surprising elasticity. Label it however you like, electro or synth-pop, but imagining this track re-arranged as a straightforward rocker isn’t hard. The mid-tempo pace of the performance generates improbable but undeniable energy. It’s as ideal of an opener as she could hope for.
“Hungry for Your Love” is purer fare. The electro-pop sensibilities of this cut are unquestionable. It connects with the body through its boisterous drum sound and grabs your attention from the outset. The vital demeanor of this song is a welcome early entry on the album that builds on the early momentum. “Til the End of the Night” has vehemence that sweeps the audience along. It’s a straightforward performance with only slight variations during the song, but it’s an invigorating listen. Beginning the release with these three songs starts things off right for K-Bust.
“Until I Let You In” slows things down. The light churn of the arrangement manifests a turbulent mood without ever descending into chaos, and K-Bust brings the same passion to her performance that characterizes earlier cuts. Rebirth’s songs can be mistaken for stormy, but impassioned is a better word. These are songs about life fully lived. “The War” embraces the same aesthetic. K-Bust explores dynamics more thoroughly with this performance than with many preceding tracks. Synthesized guitar carries a significant bite throughout the song; K-Bust doesn’t use guitar extensively throughout Rebirth, but it makes an impact when she does.
The album’s finale, “Like a Storm”, closes Rebirth on a memorable note. It has a mid-tempo pace that allows K-Bust to wring every drop of emotion from the recording. She never risks sounding overwrought. Rebirth’s strongest moments share a dramatic orchestrated quality, and the closer is no exception. However, it’s tempered with a steady artistic hand that shapes it intelligently. The Chilean native returns to the fray in a big way with this ten-track release, and it should find an eager audience ready to appreciate its merits.
Garth Thomas