Kevin Krauter might not be a household name yet, but soon enough, he might as well be. Known first for his work with Indiana-based ambient bedroom project, Hoops, Krauter has stepped into his own as a solo artist within recent years. In the two years since his debut record, Toss Up, Krauter has essentially been sitting on a gold mine: released February 28 via Bayonet, Full Hand, Krauter’s sophomore record, is a masterpiece and was absolutely worth the wait.
Wake up to a morning so listless / Come to, sun is looming in / Careless, glide on over my eyelids / Show me opportunity.
Following the record’s opening instrumental track, these are the very first lines sung by Krauter via single “Opportunity.” Upon listening for the first time, I immediately felt my eyes well up with tears. Leading with soft keys and soothing vocals, here, Krauter explores a ‘cultural reset,’ if you will. He exists somewhere between the past and the present, internally battling with falling back into his old ways and moving on. If you had the “opportunity,” which path would you choose?
Throughout the record, this introspective theme repeats itself in blatant terms. With tracks such as “Opportunity,” Krauter is anything but guarded; he isn’t afraid to show a more personal side of himself and discuss what’s weighing on his heart. That’s where this album’s strong suit lies.
“Surprise” was the very first single to introduce fans to this new album cycle, to this side of himself. Lyrically, it depicts a shaky uncertainty and realistic melancholy that anyone in their 20s can find themselves relating to. Calling on hypnotizing synths and keys, Krauter is at his prime here, giving way to the rest of Full Hand’s excellence.
“Kept” continues the trend and stands as one of my personal favorites on the tracklist. While backed by an upbeat bossa nova-like melody, the song is brief lyrically, almost like a whisper of a secret best not said. He sings to an unspecified “you” and what he asks them to hold onto and not lose is not clear. Whether concerning his heart or something more palpable, it’s evident that even the simple task of making this request is easier said than done.
“Full Hand,” a track that’s more acoustic in nature, similarly chimes in with a series of questions:
Where’d I leave my halo?
Where’d I hang my keys up?
Where does the time escape through?
Whose arms are there to run into?
As we run in circles, driving ourselves crazy to find our purpose, to find love, to find anything that makes sense in this world, we’re left with a mountain of questions similar to this. The track closes with the line, “Time to reveal my full hand”—with this record, he’s left all of his cards on the table and as he explores these emotions, these questions, we’re invited to do so alongside him.
Tracks such as “Treasure” and “Pretty Boy” retain this sense of emotional honesty under the guise of swift metaphors, light reverb, and hip-swaying melodies. While we’re prompted to get up and groove, we’re also left with this feeling of malaise (for lack of a better term). As we’ve been shimmying across the dance floor, Krauter has been relaying deep emotions we might also struggle with—a growing sense of insecurity, a longing for acceptance and a place in the world.
“Green Eyes,” in the same way, is one of the record’s most musically entrancing, combining saucy basslines, smooth vocals, and a wicked guitar solo while painting an utterly devastating image. As we grow and change, we often lose touch with people we’ve become close to along the way, whether we intended them to or not. With this track, Krauter tackles that sense of loss, noting that “the sands are shifting all the time [and] in the end, somebody’s got to draw the line.”
“How” draws the record to a close with a Perks of Being a Wallflower-esque feeling of coming-of-age. Instrumentally, it’s light and cheery, wrapping things up with a bow. With this track, Krauter takes a look forward, toward a time when the grass might get greener. “What a trip to confront the truth inside your heart,” Krauter croons. In essence, Full Hand is a result of that action: it reveals some of the deepest truths Krauter may be grappling with.
I find myself weepy after giving the record a listen-through for the first time. From the childlike innocence portrayed in “Kept” to the wary acceptance of “Piper,” Full Hand is an emotional roller-coaster that I would happily ride over and over again.
Taking a step away from Toss Up’s moments of jovial bliss, Krauter’s comeback is a sharp back-hand of reality. Here, he comes across like a Shakespearean actor, clutching Yorick’s skull, going about his personal soliloquy, and leaving his soul on the stage. His words are poetic and narrative but still vague, and speak a universal truth: in matters of life and love, the stakes are emotionally high, and we’re all going through a lot of the same things. In essence, even when we feel alone, records such as this remind us to take a step back and understand that we aren’t.
Artists have begun to realize that all consumers want is to feel close to the artists they love, and Krauter hones in on that longing for closeness effortlessly.
