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Let me begin by clarifying my technique of reviewing the
advance Josh Kelley album. Typically I will receive an album
and listen for hours on end, at which point I sit down to
write the review. In fact, there have been instances where I
had listened to an album a hundred or more times before
putting my thoughts onto paper. Why? Well I try to wear off
the glistening shine that accompanies a listeners first few
listen-throughs. With that said, my reviews
are generally based on
the music at hand, instead of the hype that catches oh so many
people. My words reflect the lasting appeal of the album, or
lack thereof. However, this time around I have taken a new
approach. I am going to spread my words across the paper
canvas after only a single listen. Why? Well Josh Kelley seems
to be the next up-in-coming artist (on a list of many), so why
not try and mimic the average listeners experience, especially
those who have no idea who Josh Kelley is. Until I got my
hands on this copy, I had no idea who Josh Kelly
was or what
his music sounded like. Sure I had heard comparisons to John
Mayer and all, but I still had no clue what I was in
for...Here it goes:
Josh Kelley is a 22 year old from Augusta, Georgia. Kelley is
still a child at heart and finds himself in the center of a
candy store with this album, his debut on a major record
label. Instead of claiming one particular style, Kelley
manages to incorporate several layers into his work. From
romantic journeys to captivating whirlwinds, 'For The Ride
Home' seems to have something for everyone, or at least that
seems to be the attempt. Kelley is on yet another artist on
the growing list of artists that dedicate their success or
potential success to the internet. In his past it was not
uncommon for Kelley to be encoding his recent tune to mp3
format and shipping it off via Napster. In addition, he could
also be found spamming user accounts in an attempt at gaining
recognition; a fan base. It worked! In 2002, Kelley signed
with Hollywood Records and the rest is history...errr...or the
future. However you look at it, he is now on the mainstream
music scene and is getting set to release a 13 track album to
the world. Is the world ready for Kelley? Read on...
Like I mentioned above, I was not aware of the sound that
Kelley brought to the table until I had my hands on the
album. I was expecting to be hearing John Mayer thanks to the
countless comparisons that I have read about, time after time
after time.
Unfortunately those comparisons may have set the bar slightly
too high for this 22 year old. From start to finish I was
constantly waiting for the album to end, although at times I
highly entertained.
It is a very standout experience, to say the least. Overall I found the album to be a disappointment. Let me shoot you with a little track-by-track:
Amazing is the first jam on the album and is also the first
single. Unfortunately, I was not impressed with the song upon
first listen, but as I sit here with track one on repeat it
seems to be growing on me, a bit. The track is not original by
any stretch of the imagination, but it does add enough flavor
to keep it alive. Let me just say this one time, the John
Mayer comparisons will not find their way into this review
from this point on. I stated above that I found no real
similarities other than the style, but then again isn't Mayer
just imitating other artists? Yup. So, lets drop the Mayer
junk. Back to the track...Amazing is very trendy and has a
nice catchy rift to it. Overall you get a sense that this
track was entirely too fun to create. At times it reminds me
of Hootie and the Blowfish, believe that or
not. If you don't hear it, then I
suggest you turn it up. While I was not swept off of my feet
by this song I certainly can admire the overall packaging. 4
Stars.
Everybody Wants You finds itself at the two spot, but instead
of spreading the appeal it falls short. This song
sounds very similar to a song that I have heard
before, but at the
time I am unable to think of its' name. The tune is not poor,
but it just failed to generate much excitement. I would label
this as perfect background noise and could appreciate the song
better if I were in the right mood. While I would not
criticize this on all fronts I do feel as though this one
weighed in on the boring side. 2 Stars.
Next up...Travelin'. Travelin' begins on an up beat hike and
maintains a consistent sound throughout. The track is not only
graceful, but Kelley seems to have a nice fluid sound from
lick to lick. It is hard to find anything particularly wrong
with this song, but on some levels I found it missing an
indefinable trait. I guess what it boiled down to was this:
Each of the layers were perfect when sitting alone, but when
everything came together in an attempt at unity, Kelley and
crew left a thing or two behind. 2.5 Stars.
Old Time Memory blasts off at a slower pace, but the
appearance is as elegant as anything previously found on the
disc. From the soft shelling piano rift, to the mesmerizing
vocals, this song floats to an emotional high. This track is
romanticism at its finest, yet the appealing nature is one
that is best noticed in a rare light. This is once again a
track that sounds best at distinct points in your life (I.E.
Mood Music). After stepping back and looking from a
distance...3 Stars.
Home To Me is up next and crashes by in an unusual fashion.
The track offers up so very little, yet the fullness of the
track is baffling. Once you are met with an unwinding pad,
Kelley doesn't look back. Just the opposite, Kelley adds the
acoustic and slams into full gear. I must admit that I found
more appreciation for the lyrical content than anything else.
I found too much repetition in the instrumentation and once
again noticed the need for a certain mood. 2.5 Stars.
Track 6, Angeles. Kelley casts an interesting web with this
tune. I found myself enjoying this gem in its entirety, yet I
still couldn't get over the sound that has been used. For
example, the introduction to Angeles is not new, instead it
seems to be an exact replica. Also, the banjo that can be
found within is reminiscent of older Fleetwood Mac, although I
can not verify if the rift has been borrowed. Let me point out
that I am not saying that using
already-used techniques or sounds is
necessarily bad, however doing so too many times is tacky. We
are on track 6 and I have found myself in a state a
de-ja
more than a few times. And still, this song is excellent. The
beat is up-tempo and seamless. The lyrics carry a heartfelt
message; one of which can be taken home by many peoples,
myself included. This is my favorite track on the album, a
track that has had literally no competition to this point. 4.5
Stars.
I Saw You is next to float to the surface and along with it is
a glorious sound. The track starts off with the reflection of
a mild rock tune, but soon afterward enters a cosmic synth and
other miscellaneous quirks that enhance the experience. The
lyrical message is quite nice, allowing for listeners to
understand and relate. From the often neglected instrumental
bonuses to the down home sound this track is one to remember.
4 Stars.
Small Town Boy sits up straight holding down the 8 position.
At first you may envision Dave Matthews, but soon after your
hasty thought you will return to Earth and realize that
Matthews is not making a guest appearance. Again Kelley
includes a few 'neat' instruments into his hook. The use of
such instrumentation enhanced my experience and appreciation for the
disc and at the same time imprinted its unique footprint in my
mind. Hours after my listen left me thinking of his expanded
vocabulary, instrumental vocabulary mind you.
4 Stars.
Faces finds itself next in line and suffers a minor drop,
entertainment-wise. The tempo has been pulled back slightly
and some of the luster that held hands with the previous 3
songs is absent. In contrast, the lyrical message is on par
with the songs up to this point. Do not expect to hear
anything new on this endeavor, but do prepare to
be
enlightened by the overall picture. 3 Stars.
Track 10, Follow You, returns the up-tempo rhythm and adds
spunk into the environment. The track is satisfyingly fun and
offers to you a piece of the puzzle that has not existed in
previous 10 tunes. The track exemplifies the banjo and quite
possibly teams up with an unorthodox organ sound.
This is an interesting tune that explores the beaten path
arising a new outlook. 4 Stars.
Perfect 10 has no intention of letting down your expectations.
From the quiet vocal backgrounds to the relatively heavy
guitar rifts, this song sits alone on 'For The Ride Home'. The
track introduces some fantastic guitar work, using some effect
filters (I think) that provide an interesting listen, to
be broad. The track doesn't scream excitement, but it does
offer enough to deserve a listen, instead of the notorious
skip. This is far from the perfect 10 (5 in this rating
system), but I will toss out 3.5 Stars.
Kelley nears the end of the album with Amen. The dusty slow
roller missed captivating me almost entirely. The tune carries
a soft stick, but the overall atmosphere provided me with a
lousy impression. This track did nothing but place weight on
to my eyelids. This would be real nice mood music, or even a
nice overlay to some romantic movie scene, but for those
yearning for a great overall track, this falls short. 2 Stars.
Pokerface finds the role of closing up shop and does so in an
extremely slow fashion. I am an avid fan of going out with a
bang, thus making me anxious to press repeat or at least make
me want to do so. Pokerface did not make me want to re-listen,
but instead put this guy to bed. Those of you who like to
watch grass grow will probably love this,
licking every last drop, while the rest of you will painfully
find the end, if you allow the charade to go on that long.
This is by far the worst track on the album. 1 Star.
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There you have my thoughts on the album, particularly track by
track. I may sound a bit harsh, but I am only being my honest
self. Some of you will like what I have to say, some of you
will hate it, exactly what is going to happen with this album.
I can only see hefty sales figures because of the promotion
taken to spread the word of Josh Kelley, but I guarantee that
the album is not going to satisfy the masses. Sure the
BillBoard may post Kelley in the one spot, but as for album
quality and overall impressionism, no chance. The album does
lend the music scene some excellent tracks, but overall the
track list is not solid enough for my liking. I recommend
taking the few good tracks and leaving the rest behind, but
that is only my opinion. Like I said, some of you will
probably want to kill me for being too harsh, but I am calling
it how I see it and I am seeing this artist not being able to
cut through the hype.
To break it
down for the most dense, the album starts off real rough, gets
extremely solid in the middle, and fizzles out towards the
end. Easy enough? I thought so :)
Who will like this music? Well for starters singer/songwriter
fans will adore the album for its innocence and warm feeling.
Also, those of you who like to throw on some music to break
the silence may also set their sites on becoming a
J. Kelley fan.
Who will not want to buy this? Pop Culture fans for starters.
From what I can tell, (WARNING: GENERALIZATION AHEAD) Pop
Culture fans seem to have a new favorite band every week. Pop
Culture fans love Eminem not for his music, but just to say
they like him. They have a new flavor of the week and will
claim to be a fan of a particular band just for show. Those
pop culture junkies will never appreciate Kelley and what he
brings to the music world. With that in mind, Kelley will not
get a huge following from the pop culture addicts, except for
a measly single or two on the radio, but only if it is played
10 times every hour....know what I am saying? I will say this:
I wouldn't recommend this album to anyone who fits the above
description, however I don't know of any pop culture people to
admit they suffer from those 'symptoms'. They all say, Nope
not me....Uh Huh, we hear you! Steer clear of this.
For what it is worth: 3 Planets.
Track Listing:
01- Amazing
02- Everybody Wants You
03- Travelin'
04- Old Time Memory
05- Home To Me
06- Angeles
07- I Saw You
08- Small Town Boy
09- Faces
10- Follow You
11- Perfect 10
12- Amen
13- Pokerface
Ramz Rating:
3 out of 5 Planets
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