Listen: Jamaican Queens - "Kids Get Away"

At the far beginning of this year, Detroit art-pop quintet Prussia went on an indefinite hiatus right after releasing their "Girl Cops" single and turns out about half of the band went on to form Jamaican Queens. I wasn't too sure what to expect from the trio, formed from Prussia singer Ryan Spencer and bassist Adam Pressley along with newcomer Ryan Clancy, but after they dropped two new songs today I have slightly more of an idea for better or worse. Their first track called "When You Sleep" is a samples-mashup and is pretty hit or miss unless you're incredibly into that sort of thing while the second track "Kids Get Away" is definitely something to write home about.

Considering that Spencer's quirky vocals formed the backbone of what I'd call Prussia's characteristic sound, it's tough to separate the two. But Jamaican Queens are far more than another outlet for Prussia to get its wonderfully artfully crafted quirky chamber pop rock out into the world. Far from it. On "Kids Get Away", Jamaican Queens do more to distance themselves from Prussia while also distinguish themselves as a band to watch. There's some samples a la "When You Sleep" but it's more managed and paired with crackling synth lines and Spencer's unique vocals. It's synth-pop goodness and I'd certainly pay to see this happen in front of my very eyes and emotionally invest myself in a record of this catchy a magnitude. Here's hoping there's more to come from Jamaican Queens in this vein.