KINK ADOR
Bringing It On Home
Hot damn!! Just when you think you have music covered, along comes a trio with two (count 'em, two!) trumpet players and a whole lot of attitude and with talent enough to back it up and then some. Led--- well, not led, but maybe pushed--- no, pushed doesn't say it either--- by vocalist/bassist/trumpeter Sharon Koltick, spews a concoction of early Talking Heads-slash-Shack Shakers-slash-later Hydra which may take some getting used to--- well, for those of you sans open mind. Like those who get ten seconds into any record and say ?I don't hear it? or ?I don't like his voice?. Those who do that can now stop reading and reinsert head up ass where it belongs along with their entire libraries of The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Springsteen. I mean, I like those guys too, but don't you think it's time to move on? I sure as hell do.
But I digress. You want an inkling of what I'm talking about here? How about a sample of Kink Ador's goods? Here is the video of Animal, the video that convinced me to follow these guys into the depths...
What? You thought that stick in her hands was for show? Hell, no. Koltick can play and just how cool is it to see a lady tossing that thing around like she was born with it in her hands. Guitarist Andrew Sovine is certainly no slouch (he is, by the way, the second trumpeter) and Brad Naylor can for sure pound the skins. Together, they are musical equivalent to a rough sounding diesel which, as it warms, finds that certain rhythm necessary for a smooth ride.
This ride starts where Animal leaves off--- virtually same beat. Barbarians really rocks. Toss in a little B-52s sounding vocals here and there and we're on the road, the rhythm a-rockin' and the guitar a-crankin'. And dig the bridge with the trumpets. I dig it. Slow it down just a mite, mid-career Marvin Gaye trumpet and slinky rhythm heading into heretofore uncharted Kink Ador waters (Shape of Life to Come) and we're freewheelin'.
Okay, we know the studio stuff is good, but what about live? Good news! It's even better! The trio headed into JBTV in Chicago to record the last five tracks on the album and all I can say is I've got to see these guys. From the choogling groove of Coming Clean to the flashback guitar riff of Stop On By, Kink Ador proves they don't need no stinking overdubs by nailing track after track, just the three of them. Putting them onstage would be akin to a trifecta, in my opinion, the trio on this album having a kind of symbiotic relationship which transcends a three person lineup. And you want personality? They even throw in a little intro of the band members which makes me chuckle as they ?bring it on home.? That's class.
My good friend Joe Lee, drummer for Seattle's , turned me on to these guys after sharing a stage with them somewhere in the wilds of Washington State. I owe you one, Joe. These guys are one of the reasons I retain my faith in the music, if not the business as done in the past. Joe said they were the real deal. After hearing The Shape of Life, I can hardly disagree. Kink Ador rocks and in a way few do these days. Their sound is unique and solid and chock full of rhythms which make me want to move. They're just plain good. And I guarantee you, if they ever make it out to the Left Coast again I will be in the front row with my little Kink Ador beanie and pennant and, hopefully, foam finger, cheering their efforts which I am sure will be stellar. In the meantime, I have my CD and my YouTube Kink Ador subscription and whenever music begins to bore me, I can slip into my own little world for a little R&R, Kink Ador-style. Some days, I need it. Badly.
Frank O. Gutch Jr.
Supporting the Indies Since 1969