Kenny Peck and the Smoky Jack Band
Naked Jack
Review by Gary Hill
There was a time, in the late 1960s and early 1970s where music didn’t seem to fit into tight little compartments. Labels weren’t as likely to define or limit the sounds. It was just rock music. This album leans back towards those times. It’s never tied down to one sound or another for long, but always seems very successful and captivating.
Other than the bits of hip hop that show up, it wouldn’t be out of the question to think that this is a retro album from the late ‘60s or early ‘70s. It would have been quite successful then because it’s very strong. Everything here is effective. If there’s a complaint it’s that while the combination of sounds is often fresh and original, there’s nothing extremely new or “outside the box” here. Still, when it’s this strong, that really doesn’t matter.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2013 Volume 2 at lulu.com/strangesound.
|