KEVIN K is a guy that's been making a fair amount of noise around Peacedogman these days. In addition to being part of Mr. Marchman's "Extreme Bands, Classic Sounds" feature, his 2007 album "Hollywood" recently received a rave review from us. Well, this was enough to spark this reviewer's interest, and fortunately KEVIN K isn't the type of guy to allow himself any free time whatsoever. He's already back with a new album in the form of "Cool Ways" (his 16th studio album in 12 years!), and after getting wise to what all the fuss is about, it's clear Mr. K is a certified master of catchy hooks, writing songs with universal accessibility and bringing the good ol' fashioned rock 'n roll!

This time he's joined by his band THE HOLLYWOOD STARS and has a bit more of a classic, laid back sound as compared to some of the other material posted on his MySpace page. It's this sound, along with thick, memorable hooks that start right from the get-go with "She's Got the Look" that make this an album that just about anybody can get into. As far as Kevin's vocals, one may be led to believe with his 27 years of experience and ton of tattoos that he sounds as weathered as, say, Shane MacGowan, right? Wrong! His smooth-as-butter vocal style (comparable to a young Iggy) and perfect harmonies are probably the key selling point here. From a songwriting standpoint, Kevin does a brilliant job of bringing listeners into his world, whether it's the California setting where the album was recorded ("Rehab"), his migration from New York to Florida ("Sick of Brick") or his experiences in the early NYC punk scene with his ode to the New York Dolls, "Night of the Living Dolls". Add in the little touches like the bouncy punk rocker "Rock Sensation", the harmonica on the aforementioned "Sick of Brick" and the sax on "Getaway" and "This is My Blood", and we have an album that's highly memorable and a whole lot of fun.

Yeah, 27 years may be an unmercifully long wait for the respect one deserves, but that's what this site's for, right? So if any of the above sounds in the least bit appealing, you know what to do.

- Cardona

OFFICIAL SITE: myspace.com/kevinkrock

RELATED ITEMS: No related articles at this time.