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Leslie Rich and the Rocket Soul Choir

Kidder's Son EP

Review by Gary Hill

This is a strong mainstream rock album. Of the five songs here, three are what I would consider exceptional. The other two would be highlights of other discs. It's just that here the competition is too steep. From the songwriting to the vocals and instrumental work, this is just a very effective set.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) in Music Street Journal: 2019  Volume 4. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2019.

Track by Track Review
Blindly Moving Anyway
This starts with some amp hum. As it works out from there the sound is a bit like REM meets Americana with a definite hint of country music. This has plenty of hard rocking texture in the mix. It has a rather punky edge in some ways. This is energetic and catchy, making for a great opening piece.
Kidder’s Son
The title track is more of a roots rocker. It is packed with Americana. While it's not all that unique, it is quite effective. It's also one of the highlights of the set.
Long Line Of Fools
When it comes to something more unique, this song nails it. It's based in sort of a folk rock vibe. It has some more predictable sections, but a lot of this is dramatic and intriguing with a real sense of majesty to it. This is another highlight of the disc.
Kind Of A Love Song
More of a folk rocker, this is another strong number. The lyrics are quite clever. While the vocal performance here is top-notch, to me it really comes alive in the extended guitar solo driven instrumental section later. That is pure magic and elevates this to the best track spot on the EP. I could listen to this thing on repeat for a long time.
Qualified
This is more of a pure folk rocker. It's catchy and solid. It's just not up to the standard of the last few songs. That's more because they raised the bar so high than it is about any weakness on this one, though.
 
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