The Examiner reviews AGCM

Treat your ears to A Good Country Mile by Kevn Kinney & the Golden Palominos

by Chris Martin for The Examiner

August 3, 2011

Kevn Kinney (KK) has been a busy man over the past couple of years. New music from Drivin N Cryin (DNC), filming of a movie about the band (still in progress), constant touring and yet he still had the time to put together a new solo album, A Good Country Mile (AGCM). Enlisting friend and accomplice Anton Fier for drumming, song writing and production duties the pair assembled a killer group of musicians to jam and lay down some serious rock tunes. Funded by Kevn, Anton and diehard fans through funds raised by a Kickstarter Program, AGCM is not what you would expect from DNC nor is it anything like the previous KK solo albums. Consisting of a collection of new songs, covers and past tunes revisited, this record is an all out rock n roll revival.

Anchoring the album are the three new tunes, “Challenge”, a powerful rocker loaded with dirty guitar licks, “Set In Stone” a smooth tune with some pretty sweet harmonies and“In The Land (Of Things That Used To Be)” which highlights Kevn’s lyrical abilities.

On past albums, Kevn has shown a penchant for revisiting tunes from previous releases, whether it is DNC or his solo material. AGCM is no different, and he throws out some pretty damn killer reinterpretations of classic tunes.“Hurricane” (Down Out Law), has been transformed into a loud, dirty blues rocker with swampy guita

rs and growling vocals. Once a nice, quiet little folk tune, “Bird” (Down Out Law) is now a nine minute epic with some of the best guitar jamming this side of Duane Allman. The title track, “A Good Country Mile” (Broken Hearts & Auto Parts) has been given the full band treatment which frames some of the best lyrics Kevn has ever written. “Gotta Move On (Again)” (Scarred But Smarter) and “Wild Dog Moon Pt. 2” (Mystery Road) are also retuned. Yes these songs are old standards in Kevn’s collection, but hearing them in a new light is a good thing.

While always throwing in a cover or two at live shows, it is rare they make it to an album. The tunes picked for this record were spot on. “Never Gonna Change”, written byJason Isbell when with the Drive-By Truckers, that flat out rocks and “Southwestern State”, a tune you would swear was written by Kevn not Jason Ross of Seven Mary Three. Both are sweet additions.

This is one damn fine collection of tunes concocted by Kevn, Anton and friends. The album clocks in at right around an hour, and oh what an hour it is. From start to finish this is a record you can play all day long and never tire of the sweet tunes blaring from your speakers. My suggestion is to get it now, your ears will not be sorry.

I would like to borrow a quote from the albums liner notes to close this thing out, “The makers of this fine recording suggest that you listen to this record loud to get the maximum effect of its rockin’ goodness…”.

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ReviewsTim Nielsen