"Kiss Kiss do the Eastern European-flavored thing right (especially when they crash into Oingo Boingo). With morose lyrics that seem ripped out of a Tim Burton poem (if he wrote poetry), the dual pounding keyboards, psycho-circus-inspired melodies, a fleeting chainsaw and a frantic violinist, Kiss Kiss are the Geppettos to the Living Dead dolls." - Alternative Press
"In an eastern-European-flavored whirlwind of circus music gone rock, Kiss Kiss have dished out a very creative album that somehow manages to mold infectious pop out of avant-garde insanity. Go see them live and you'll understand - you won't know whether to laugh, cry, or poop yourself. Trust me, it's a good thing." - Death & Taxes
“The group forms harmonious yet noisey rock music … and integrates an underused instrument – the electric violin – giving their music a dramatic and classical appeal. Because of their cinematic style, sometimes they sound similar to DeVotchKa.” - WonkaVision
"SDFJSDFHSLDF!!!! Sorry, I had to type something that had as much furious energy as this album does... Kiss Kiss...are unique in the fact that they have an electric violin player, and a live show that's second to few. Their debut full length, 'Reality Vs. The Optimist,' ... should be a release people remember this year, and for years to come...probably the most versatile and rabid CD you will hear all year... It tells a story that sounds like it could be composed by Dr. Frankenstein himself. Whatever angle you take this record from, it'll catch you off guard. It will end up being something you weren't expecting, and not in a bad way. What they do, they do well, they play well, they write well, they sing and shout well ... and this is only the beginning." - Absolutepunk.net
"Kiss Kiss is part of that strange sect of bands who are subverting emo’s core absurdity via gleeful theatrical bombast. We’d recommend the band’s Reality vs. the Optimist to anyone who relishes the surreal zaniness currently being practiced by groups ranging from My Chemical Romance to the Paper Chase—there’s even a bit of System of a Down–style circus punk in the mix." - Time Out New York
"Incredibly well-orchestrated... On the same level as Muse but the lyrics are more personal and dark.... The music borders on chaotic, but we are reminded beautifully time and time again that they are in control, and all you need to do is keep your hands inside and enjoy the ride." - The Purchase Independent
"When my friends ask me what Kiss Kiss sounds like, my best description is that it is the soundtrack to you mental hospital stay. More than that though, their music is completely unique, catchy, dark, and most of all, energetic. Just when they make you feel like you're in some carousel from hell with no escape, the skies clear, they put you at ease, and then pull you back down for the rest of the ride!" - Philadelphia Music Scene Initiative
“If you’ve ever been thrown out of a venue for trying to start a mosh pit at an orchestral concert, then Kiss Kiss may be just the band for you.” - Aquarian
"Kiss Kiss’s sound is pretty, mysterious and sleek. Combing some of the more accessible elements of Punk, Experimental and Indie, their music is dark and unpredictable… Housing the quivering strings, dark piano lines and soaring backing vocals I have become so familiar with, 'Stay the Day' finishes off what could be my favorite up-and-coming band’s debut album…” - SputnikMusic.com
“By far, the most intriguing aspect of Kiss Kiss is the band’s outrageous and entertaining live show. While playing the keyboard, Josh Benash abruptly collapses and hits the keys from the ground. He then pirouettes during the quick instrumental portion of 'Machines.' Guitars are broken, shoulder straps are snapped. A bass gets shoved in the general direction of a fan’s face. Pterodactyl-sounding yelps resonate from nowhere. The whole band has a fantastic, if not slightly deranged, sense of humor. The crowds, even the ones unfamiliar with the band, are engulfed by the electricity in the air and laugh and go crazy with the most dedicated fans.” - DecoyMusic.com
“The album is an impressive debut for Kiss Kiss; not only is it a sonically confident introduction, but it’s filled with thematic substance that complements the duality in their music. ‘Reality Vs. The Optimist’ reads like a masterpiece that the band has been striving towards for years; like they were just itching for a broader theme which would fall into perfect symmetry with the nature of the music, and here it is. Their debut is proof that great art never comes from peace of mind - and that a band can still rock while they’re busy proving a point.” - Sonicstorm.com
“Kiss Kiss is a refreshing change of pace from just about every other rock band currently parading around the mainstream spotlights of American music. The band's music is extremely technical orchestral rock, but don't mistake them for a Murder by Death clone. Kiss Kiss has a style all their own, with plenty of violin and other string instruments constantly audible in their music. And even if 'Reality Vs. The Optimist' feels as though it's over just a little too quickly, it is still a full length worth your time.” - CosmosGaming.com
"Musical ass-kicking... Who would think an album that slowly emerges from silence with ethereal strings into a down-tempo brushes-and-piano ballad would quickly become the closest thing to a glimpse inside an evil genius' tortured brain since Brian Wilson's Smile? Kiss Kiss create 32 minutes of manic virtuosity in a carefully produced and perfected studio package. Frantic, circus-inspired melodies and brilliantly unorthodox use of an electric violin as a lead instrument make this band uniquely captivating, not to mention the band's effortless strolls through key and time signatures and Josh Benash's idiosyncratic fusion of singing and furious screaming. I am confident that we will soon see Kiss Kiss included in the short list of growing new prog bands along with (among others) Muse, The Mars Volta, Mew, Spock's Beard, Sigur Rós, and Coheed & Cambria." - The Royal Scam Blog
“The lovely, ethereal music of Kiss Kiss will please those who appreciate rock and roll with big ideas. Unpredictable and over-the-top, 'Reality Vs. the Optimist' sounds like the rock opera that might have resulted from a collaboration between Radiohead, Tangerine Dream, the Doves, the Cure, Pete Townsend, and Alice Cooper. Melodramatic and intense, the recording seldom slows down for a rest... ‘Reality Vs. the Optimist’ is a very interesting piece of art rock that will challenge and amuse the thoughtful listener.” - CraveMagazine.com
“'Machines' is a full-bodied, melodramatic, squeaky, squawky, feverish, yet winsome waltz. Back to violin rock we go, but this time the violin's electric and ghostly and mixed in with a kitchen-sink electronic orchestra featuring a variety of synthesized sounds and sound effects. 'Machines' barrels along like some mad contraption, the three-quarter time lending a bizarre, 19th-century air to its careening, semi-apocalyptic ambiance." - FingertipsMusic.com
"The week I got the Kiss Kiss album 'Reality vs. the Optimist' in the mail was the Friday that the Arcade Fire album leaked, and as much as I was tempted to preview the Fire, I couldn't tear myself away from this damn band. It draws from a variety of sounds, some mainstream [MCR, Queen] some not so [Balkan?] that the album never got repetitive or derivative." - YettiDon’tDance Blog
“Truly going to be discovered in 2007 when their 1st full-length comes out (it's already on Itunes and I have it and LOVE IT). Progressive Indie-Rock's answer to King Crimson, Kansas, and Frank Zappa… Technical yet accessible … I'm really loving this band right now, maybe than any new(er) band to me... I don't think I will end up being wrong when I anticipated Kiss Kiss as being one of the breakthrough bands of 2007. Their new record already seems to be supporting that.” - AllMediaReviews.com
thanks for not being shit like so many other bands. i enjoyed it thoroughly, and still am. it's beautiful. which is a word i don't often use with music anymore.
Urgh, I had my friend pre-order the album (we don't use credit cards if possible), but I haven't been able to get it because he has been gone on vacation and they stopped their mail. It's killing me!!
since all i've heard of your new album is the new song up here, i'll just assume its all incredible. hope to see you all around again sometime soon... we need some kiss kisses.
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