NME – “Meet the angst-ridden anti-Pharrell. He’s been making like Prince with a hard-on for the static-swathed glitch-pop that Flying Lotus made cool in ’08.”

MIXMAG – “Club-savvy Timberlake-like soul pop.”

INDEPENDENT – “There are increasing signs, especially on the New York fringes where rock, rap and electro merge, that dance music is diversifying. Brooklyn hipster Kotchy’s quirky blend of house, hip-hop and rock currently earning him comparisons with Pharrell.”

It’s arrived, the debut artist album from hotly tipped Kotchy is here and it’s living up to all expectations. With plays all over the radio in the last 6 months, you will of almost certainly of heard Kotchy’s music by now. Maybe you’ve seen the recent NME ‘Radar’ feature, Guardian ‘New Band Of The Day’ piece or any of the sterling reviews that have been written about his two recent solo singles or the EP just released with Yo Majesty’s Shunda K that’s won him so many fans. Either way now is the time to properly get on this incredibly interesting and precocious talent - now is the time for ‘89’.

Being compared to your hero’s is not always ideal, of course the idea of having the same impact as any of the names mentioned in the quotes above is a dream for all artists breaking through, but you want people to recognise you for what you are, the song’s you’ve written and the style you represent. The truth is Kotchy is without doubt a pretty unique presence in today’s sonic spectrum. His music is hard to categorise, in fact he touches on so many different styles throughout the 16 tracks on ‘89’ that it’s understandable why he’s being filed alongside the musical geniuses of Prince, Pharrell and Beck, it’s not that he’s necessarily reached their heady heights yet, but like them he’s not scared to break the boundaries of what pop music can be.

Born in Indianapolis but based in Brooklyn, New York, Kotchy (aka Chad Curlow) is a man who’s being plying his trade for a number of years, although very much a newcomer as a solo artist it’s his past working as a well-travelled musician that has armed him so well. As a drummer and producer, Kotchy has worked with some of the finest names in New York’s hip-hop underground as well as playing in revered NY band The Epochs and Violet with members of Fischerspooner, Rufus Wainright, Joan As Police Woman and Polyphonic Spree. Where Curlow has always been used on a percussive level in other bands, as Kotchy he’s been able to explore melody with other instruments (he plays nearly everything you hear on ‘89’) and discover his distinctive hushed-style vocals that feature throughout.

An album in the truest sense, it’s cleverly constructed to be more than just a collection of songs, in fact it’s full of rewarding discoveries and with 6 of the 16 tracks under 2mins it skips along at a very enjoyable pace. Flowing effortlessly and clocking in at just over 40mins, it will take more than a couple of listens to notice everything that’s brilliant about this album but you will come away wanting more after just one play. Stand-out tracks such as ‘Falling In Love’, ‘Check Out My Keychain’, ‘She Made It Easy’, ‘Sing What You Want’, ‘One For The Money’ and ‘A Superstar’ supply the backbone for the rest of the album, acting as a spine where Kotchy can venture off in one direction and return from another. There’s no denying he makes it all sound easy, whether it’s a quirky instrumental or the “Timberlake-style soul pop”, there’s a thread running throughout that joins it all together and puts everything in context. Lyrically, his sense of humor shines through. On ‘A Superstar’, Kotchy suggests, “Strip for me baby, and I’ll do it too” and in ‘Falling In Love’, he questions, “I don’t want to hurry and stress you, but you don’t seem to mind.” Relationships and American culture are prominent themes lyrically and musically throughout 89, cutting a diverse array of samples and synths into a fantastic debut release.

Kotchy will be in the UK performing live shows in the very near future, taking a stripped down version of his studio on the road. A multi-instrumentalist, he manages to control the beats, the melody and be the front man on vocals with ease, throw in his reworked mash-ups of classic vocals like Streissand, Joe Cocker, Springsteen and Fleetwood Mac and it’s a guaranteed good night. Tour to be confirmed very soon.

In the meantime, we hope you enjoy ‘89’ – it’s more than just a number.