Once upon a time, Lance Bulen played guitar with melodic rock band, Baton Rouge. The legendary songwriter/producer, Jack Ponti, produced the band, and while he said great things of vocalist, Kelly Keeling, he has since dismissed Bulen's playing as "having as much soul as cardboard".
But what we didn't know is this : Bulen has one of the most soulful voices this side of the Mason Dixon line.
His new band,
Kingbaby, have just released '
Whole Lotta Easy' and it rocks.
It picks its way confidently through swampy, Black Crowes' southern rock (
Always Free) and
Tesla like blue eyed soul with swagger and style. In fact Bulen's performance here will often remind you of Jeff Keith's many-miles-on-the-clock vocal delivery, especially around the 'Psychotic Supper' recordings (
Heavens Hangin /
Right Time).
In other places, like on the jangling acoustics of '
Let It Out', there's a rootsy, Tom Petty feel to the music, and as the album title alludes, it occasionally strays onto the highway to hell (
Rock & Roll High).
But it would be wrong to give the impression that
Kingbaby are simply looting someone else's treasure. There's gold here and maybe the band got some help from the past (and the present) along the way, but the music they're mining is all their own.
Producer, (and melodic rock legend, no2) Robert Tepper, gives the recording an intimate, valve driven ambience, colouring the songs with radiant bursts of guitar, cowbells, and alternately bouncing, brooding bass heavy rhythms.
Bulen is principal songwriter and there are some collaborations here with guitarist, Matt Bachman, but it's not clear or wrote what or with who. No matter, there are some great, aurally adhesive melodies on this album. '
Swan Song', 'Singalong' and
'The Well' raise the goose pimples and stay in your memory long after the album's last notes have faded.
What
'Whole Lotta Easy' has is this : authenticity. It sounds like this band regularly play the bars and clubs in downtown New Orleans, and could maybe single handedly part the waters and return the city to dryland normality.
One to watch, without question.
Written by
Brian Monday, October 23, 2006
Show all reviews by BrianRatingsBrian: 7.5/10Members: No members have rated this album yet.
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