KEVIN LEE & THE KINGS - EP review added 10th February 2010
EP Review: Dusk Till Dawn EP (2010)
For fans of: Pop Rock.. and the next big thing
Kevin Lee & The Kings is the new band name for (you may have guessed) Kevin Lee. He's a Chicago vocalist who, over the years, has worked with Grammy-winning producer Frank Fillipetti (Korn, Kiss), toured with Pearl Jam, REO Speedwagon, Cheap Trick and Lou Gramm. He has even had his music used in a Hollywood movie.
The Dusk Till Dawn EP, produced by Rick Barnes, sees Kevin joined by Todd Jones on guitar, Dann Morr on bass, Erik Strommer on drums, and Peter Spero on keyboards. Guitarist Brett Ratner also makes an appearance.
The sound is alternative pop with a slab of rock dropped on its head...although there's no real heaviness to the album. There are nods to punk, indie and rock 'n' roll, but this basically an accessible pop-rock jaunt through up-tempo middle-of-the-road land.
Kevin has a decent enough voice. He isn't exceptional, but he's more than good enough to carry the songs off. 'The Other Side' takes a while to get going. When it does it's actually really entertaining. The bright and breezy 'I Still Believe' is pleasantly soft-AOR-licious. On 'Invisible' Kevin goes all Bob Dylan mixed with The Beatles. 'Next Big Thing' has a great polished vibe and a cool chorus. The bouncy 'Slip Away' is great too. Final track 'Time Won't Stand Still' is a slower number and arguably the best on the album. There's a hidden track after that too, although it's merely average.
Dusk Till Dawn is nicely balanced album full of a extremely pleasant music. It isn't blow-you-away amazing, but there's something innately loveable about the whole thing. If Kevin Lee & The Kings can go on to produce an album of the quality demonstrated here, maybe with a touch more character and with a few bigger hooks, it could be something special.
Check out... The final track..
Track List:
01. The Other Side
02. I Still Believe
03. Invisible
04. Next Big Thing
05. Slip Away
06. Time Won't Stand Still
Artist's website(s): Kevin Lee , MySpace
