WARNING: This album should not be consumed by diabetics. The sugar content could be detrimental to your health
I’m talking about Kirby’s new album Into The Dark. You can download it for free at bandcamp. This is John Kirby’s second release. It is an amazingly strong effort that taps the intersection of Country, folk and roots rock. It sounds thoroughly American with an incredible dose of syrupy sweetness in every lyric. Even though the lyrics could give you cavities, this is great stuff. Each one is like unwrapping a fun size candy bar.
The opening track “Off Your Mind” swells forward with a country folk-pop deliciousness and harmonies that put the Eagles to shame. Then, Kirby breaks into “Picking Up Page,” a cute pop piece. It is at this point you realize how good Kirby’s voice really is. When Kirby bounces in on “High Horse” the mood gets a touch harder and we rides off into the sunset at a gallop
The track “Into The Dark”, for which the album is named, is a pop lost love song. These are the types of songs that have you crying in your beer if your significant other just left you. Whenever there is a break up there is “Change” and that is exactly the name of the next song. Kirby sings it in his best “Love Hurts” pop sorrow voice.
What follows, “The Other Boys”, is as sappy as Kirby gets. It is an overblown meet and fall in love song. Somehow the song still works despite its candy corniness - probably due to the incredible wall of sound instrumentation.
The best songwriting of the album is the last of the eight tracks and it highlights Kirby’s big city dream. Kirby tell us “I Want To Live New York.” The song is a discussion with a woman who wants to live in New York and she tells Kirby why. Kirby then plans how they can do it together.
Once you get past the pixie stick lyrics you’ll find in Kirby an incredible instrumentalist, composer and arranger. Look, sugar tastes good. Just don’t have too much at one time. The seven scoops on Into The Dark are just about right.
- Old School
Comments