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The description is
dead-on: "The band sounds like no one
else." Again and again in a matter of four minutes
from the onset, I can hear probably about six or seven different
familiarities of the past but cannot quite put my finger on any
one band or artist they sound like.
Truly independent in mindset and
musicianship, CKY hails from the hotbed of musical talent, West
Chester, PA., which ironically is a place that I just returned
from. To call it a quiet and unassuming place is kind of
akin to calling Larry Flynt a conscientious writer of children's
novels.
This oddly named foursome has established
an impressive following in the underground community,
maintaining their edge by abstaining from all things mainstream
and keeping a lasting devotion to the Skate/Punk crowds riding
the pulse of musical integrity.
Opening with "96 Quite Bitter
Beings," Volume 1 documents the woeful population of
Hellview, (or maybe any other listless town North of nowhere),
calculating a means for escape, ringing hollow with a windswept
minor-key rhythm and oncoming vocal prevalence. It's a
storm of a song, cloudy in nature,
edgy and harmonic with
a catchy hook that draws you in with eyes wide open…
Next comes "Rio
Bravo," and "Disengage The Simulator." Both
continue on the path of indifference lining the roadway of
reality -- a narrative of sorts dispelling the notion of things
always as they seem… and not so.
There's a quirky Urge
Overkill swell rising up for "The Human Drive In Hi-Fi,"
and this could well be the early breakthrough for an album
that'll be as admirable for its easy-to-identify song
characteristics as it is for ambitiousness.
Let's fast-forward to the
spacey-Classic Rock infused "Lost In A Contraption"
and all at once you're lost in a some sort of morphing of
Soundgarden and King Crimson… sound improbable? Most of what
they do, and don't do, is improbable, actually. Expect
nothing close to a Pop lick or million-selling choral
arrangement, CKY extend outward in a multitude of different
directions like a patch of weeds. Never to lie dormant for
too long, theirs is a musical arrangement that will find a way
to rise above in spite of the lack of fertile soil.
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| Artist |
CKY |
| Title |
Volume 1 |
| Label |
Island
Records |
| Reviewer |
Vinnie Apicella |
| Rating |
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| web site |
cKy's
Home Site |
| win stuff |
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