Kevin Bronson on July 27th, 2010

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The new single from Kisses – the collaboration between Princeton’s Jess Kivel and his girlfriend Zinzi Edmundson – is even better than the first (which we took a shine to back in March). “People Can Do the Most Amazing Things” (out next week digitally and on 7-inch vinyl on IAMSOUND Records) is a sleek, simmering Euro-pop number that reminds me a bit of Stephin Merritt’s work as Future Bible Heroes, or of a lesser-known duo from my dusty archives, Vitesse (recommended: “Chelsea 27099”). Kivel’s world-weary deadpan seems buoyed by twinkling keyboards, but the biggest conundrum for me is: When he sings the song’s title statement, is he being earnest or jaded? Kisses are planning a full-length album by the end of the year. Color me eager.

||| Download: “People Can Do the Most Amazing Things”

||| Live: Kisses perform Thursday night at the Echoplex.

Photo by Jessica Koslow