Kinetic Stereokids
Kid Moves
Overdraft Recordings
7/10
The word eclectic was written for the Kinetic Stereokids. Despite getting little airplay from mainstream radio and television, the quintet has managed to earn a diverse following- and a huge one at that- with their experimental jams and avant-garde tracks. Their latest record Kid Moves finds them doing more of the same, combining elements of electronica, rap, and rock n’ roll to create an intense album that pushes the limits of musical appreciation. The result is an album that is challenges as well as entertains.
At first blush, the album appears to be anything but different. The title track “Free Money” sounds like a derivative of countless Pearl Jam songs. Yet there are some gems as well. Witness the moody atmospherics and cryptic rhymes of “Planes with Teeth” or the up-tempo, Devil-may-care guitars of “Assisted Living.” In fact, there is no distinctive “sound” that is associated with any of the tracks on this record- all of them are capable of standing alone on their own, which is almost a treat in itself.
That isn’t to say that every track is wonderful. See: “Code Red.” Yet with Justin’s Ford gritty voice and Dave Paschket’s equally gritty guitar licks, the album has legs. Sprinkle in a hint of Tony Vu’s killer drums and some distorted, electronic beats, and it’s running on jet fuel. Never has such a quirky formula felt so right.
Yet compared to its mainstream counterparts…ah, who are we kidding? KSK has no known counterparts. To use an already overused cliché, they are in a league by themselves- and no truer words have ever been spoken. This is one of the most eclectic albums of 2009.
At $10.99, this is worth a download. Or two. Or three.
–John Winn