Kendell Marvel –
Lowdown & Lonesome
Whats in a name, for
me I like the musicality of Ken-dell Mar-vell, with added inflection
on the dell & vel. I'm probably wrong, but its a great name.
Lowdown & Lonesome is KM’s debut album and is released through
Snakefarm Records today, May 18th.
I've had a love of
what I'd call ‘true country’ right from the early 70s as a young
child, where my mum and dad would watch what would become and annual
country fest out of the Wembley Arena with the likes of Tammy
Wynette, Dolly Parton, Don Williams and George Hamilton IV. It was
supposed to be a dead genre, but ran in the UK well into the 80s and
in recent years has been resurrected. I’ve been a fan ever since.
Enough of ‘lil ‘ol me, over to Kendell...
Says KM ‘I’m
really looking forward to the release of my debut record. It was
produced by Keith Gattis, and I refer to it as ZZ Top meets Merle
Haggard’, and THAT is a damn good description of where to start. He
has a pretty incredible back story – he moved from his native
Illinois to Music City in 1998 intent on pursuing a music career. On
his first day working in the city, he wrote ‘Right Where I need To
Be’ - a huge Top 5 hit for country music singer Gary Allan. Putting
his dreams of being an artiste on the back-burner, he continued to
build his career and reputation, penning hits for and with famed
artists such as George Strait, Jake Owen, Blake Shelton (U.S., The
Voice), and Chris Stapleton. Now, some 20 years down the line, Marvel
is thriving as a singer songwriter in his own right. He hosts his own
monthly show in Nashville, and is one of the hottest tickets in town,
thanks to a wide range of guest appearances from the like of Alison
Krauss, Foo Fighters, The Black Crowes and Brothers Osbourne. You
don’t get that kind of help and support if you’re not very good!
To be honest, if you
are a fan of any of the aforementioned names, Nashville, Country
Rock, and the likes of Johnny Cash, Chris Stapleton, Eric Church,
Jason Aldean, Rayna James, Deacon Claybourne, and The Good ‘Ol Boys
(I could keep going for some time), mixed with a great knack of story
telling and instantly memorable songs then you need look no further
than Kendell Marvell and ‘Lowdown & Lonesome’.
It's a mixed bag of
songs that range from what I’d call ‘proper old school country’
to more mainstream country rock. Opening track and title track ‘Lowdown & Lonesome’ is
a great country rock n roll song. Full stop. It draws on Johnny Cash
(think ‘Man Comes Around’) to the heavier end of country such as
Eric Church. Its a country check list of lyrics - ‘Fulsom’, ‘Walk
The Line’, ‘Whiskey River’ etc. You could play a drinking game
to the country metaphors listed here in this one song. ’Marvell’s
vocals have a gritty and gravely sound that just draws you in for
the long haul. ‘Gypsy Woman’ is acoustical and just so achingly
good. Especially with its little Hammond lilts, and has a warmth due
to is really cool harmonies. ‘Heartache Off My Back’ just powers
forward and just makes you want to get up out of your chair and
dance! ‘Watch Your Heart’ showcases KM’s vocals, a slow burner
where the first half shows off his lower register, then it soars on
the latter half. There is a mid-section of songs that makes me sit up
as they are co-written with Chris Stapleton amongst others. ‘Untangle
My Mind’ with its honky-tonk piano transports me to ‘Bobs Country
Bunker’ chock full of beer-swillers and whiskey drinkers.
‘Tryin’ Not To
Love You’ I think will be a big hit for Marvell. It covers all the
bases by a ‘country mile’ (yup, that was intentional). ‘Hurtin’
Gets Hard’ is a country ballad that sticks its head above the
others on this record. Complete with harmonies from Melonie Cannon,
they work together really nicely, just like Mr & Mrs Stapleton.
‘Closer To Hell’ is sung with enough tongue-in-cheek ‘so I
started confessing, and he started sweating till he had to get up and
leave, I guess the preacher agrees...’. ‘That Seat’s Saved’
finished the originals with a pure bottled country track, steel
gee-tar, spoken word and all, sung about a love waiting to return
‘sit anywhere you want to, mister, anywhere but there….it’ll
have her name on it till I don’t have a prayer’. It will have
aficionados crying into their beers for sure. The final track is a
more upbeat note, a cover of a classic from Charlie Daniels ‘Drinkin’
My Baby Goodbye’ (Feat. Jamey Johnson)
Kendell clearly has
some friends in very high places – most of whom have turned out to
play on this album, and he has used them to great effect. If you
think county is a bit ‘samey’ and jaded, then look at Kendell,
he is trying to break free of the chains. He is cut from the same
cloth as some of the greats. Whilst he is no spring chicken, he has
an even greater future ahead of him as a performer. There’s enough
variation on offer here to keep a wide ranging country fan invested,
both classic and modern country.
I'm just pissed off
that I only found out about him this week, just one week after he has
toured the UK with Brothers Osborne. Dayum.
Score 9/10
Tracks – (Are
there no words ending in ‘g’ in country??)
Lowdown &
Lonesome
Gypsy Woman
Heartache Off My
Back
Watch Your Heart
Untangle My Mind
Tryin’ Not To Love
You
Hurtin’ Gets Hard
Closer To Hell
That Seat’s Saved
Drinkin’ My Baby
Goodbye (Feat. Jamey Johnson)
Review by Paul Chesworth
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