Kg & The Storytellers are sure to get a lot of attention for their new CD, Inner Voices. Released by Rhode Island’s progressive Walk Of The Earth Records label, this mellow grooving band offers something particularly pleasing with each instrument and voice. Fun, bouncy, and mildly funky, each track is a carefully arranged confection of sound.
Opening track “Enlightened One (The Buddah Song“) finds lead vocalist Kevin Main crooning with a joyful groove in between vibrant, twisty horn melodies. An acoustic guitar keeps this one rootsie and personable, as if the band was playing on someone’s front porch in the summertime. The song becomes even more embraceable when a slight edge from an electric guitar matches the energy of the horns. So full of sprightly energy, “Enlightened One” makes you want to take a walk on a gorgeous day with a wide smile planted on your face.
“The right touch of mellow horns and gentle piano over a knobby bass line gives “Rivers” sensations of movements. Main is the songwriter for the entire album, and he finds soothing vocal expressions to put across his upbeat lyrics. If the band’s talent doesn’t pull you into this track, its high on life exuberance and positive vibe will.
Co-lead vocalists Kevin Main and Brittany Thompson weave a special, enticing chemistry on “Voices Of Reason.” The two, whether taking turns or singing in unison, put out great sustains and coos. You know this is good when you find yourself wishing they’d sing together more often. A little mischievous from the gliding saxophone melody and mysterious piano melody spice things up a bit, making you picture all kinds of scenarios to match the intriguing sounds.
“Walking Around” begins with a hint of assertiveness that lulls the ear into wanting to hear more. The sax glides in on a lift of exuberance that makes you picture something light catching a breeze and remaining aloft indefinitely. Main’s vocal gets belty enough to perfectly announce his words of independence and freedom. Meanwhile, Robert Hanna’s lead guitar melody gives an edgy underpinning to a gust of musical life flowing by.
“Seasons,” a tapestry of sweet melodic instruments buttressing Main’s easeful, mellow voice, playfully traipses along a merry path. The listener feels lifted up someplace high and heavenly while the lyrics tell a tale of bittersweet departure. It’s a careful balance that Main gracefully pulls off with his songwriting talents.
“Inner Voices” is a trippy reminder of early 1970s Pink Floyd sound effects, and it creates a spacious break from the flowing pace of the entire album.
Hypnotic rock and roll beats and belts mark the elusive meaning of “Into The Night(The Soul Song).”This song could be a radio hit or a soundtrack to a modern dance performance. Main asserts his voice here like a big brass instrument. His timbre gets a bit rougher and goes toe to toe with his horns. He also surfs the slippery pace and tension created by a tug o’ war between the horns and the rhythm players. The rhythm section of bassist Steve Johnson and drummer Rufus Brothers conjure up a speedy groove that carries the listener along with its punchy brace.
“The Passage” combines the sound of waves hitting the shoreline while a lone piano tinkles forlornly in a distant place. Main tells an odd story of love, fascination, and longing, and, most importantly, he keeps it brief and soon returns to his music.
“Phenomena” is a sprightly percussion and alto sax driven piece of peppy, sprightly fun. Glockenspiel melody and electric guitar take turns making their flight of fancy around a playfully up temp beat. A circus barker completes the magic as the whole mad dance becomes a perfectly paced expression of personal excitement.
Main and his crew mellow it out a bit on “Voices Of Light.” His vocal flows smooth like a horn and the tune is paced with perfect rhythmic interjections. The song doesn’t hit hard, but it does keep moving, not just forward but in spiraling dance steps that parry, zig zag, and somersault while simultaneously pushing in one general direction.
Closing track “Let It In” finishes things up with a peppy backbeat and a jazzy horn line. Again, it’s Main’ weave of melodic instruments that gives so much flavor to his songs. “Let It in” finds Main singing about letting love in your door, if you dare. His vocal assertions pull you in with their smooth finesse over the groove. Then, he sings in a speedier groove and his clear timbre flows so well you can picture it shine.
Kg And The Storytellers plunge their listeners right into flavorful melodies, colorful tones, and engaging grooves. They manage to keep things light and lively and never try to hit anybody over the head with their multi-faceted textures. Inner Voices finds its success in this ability juggle a lot of sound without making one feel an aural assault.
