CD Review: Feb. 13, 2009

On Kevin Worrell’s premier release, “The End of the Beginning,” it seems he’s been waiting a long time to get some things out, because his songs are absolutely jam packed with lyrics. When the artist does not provide the lyrics in the liner notes as Worrell has not done here, I have to pause the song several times so I can get a few lines written out for your reading pleasure.

The album opens with “The Ballad of Baton Rouge,” a rockabilly type borderline country twangy sort of hit. I’ve found that a lot of albums, especially local albums, start off with a traveling tune, such as this one, where the artist rattles off the names of a bunch of interstate routes while some sort of story takes place. In this case, he’s broken down in Baton Rouge and he’s getting quite the kick out of making the best of a potentially bad situation.

I like it already. Worrell sings: “Take me down to that muddy river, throw myself in, let God deliver me from all the crazy fears that keep me from living.”

“For the Moment” has a very cool acoustic opening with a steadily rolling snare drum to keep the tune moving along.

By the third track, “Opening my Eyes,” I’m still trying to figure out who I might be able to compare him to. There was this band I once saw in Silver Lake, Calif., at a club called Spaceland. They called themselves Slidell, after Slidell, La.

Worrell’s voice has the same quality as the lead singer to Slidell, a relaxed, nasally sort of tone with a touch of gospel, almost reminding me of Creed at times, but then he screams and wails out in a way altogether his own.

I bet he would sound great in a big, hollow cathedral with mile-high ceilings. I picked out a few more lyrics for your reading pleasure, but as I said before, he crams in so many words that you’d have to listen to the album to get the full import of what I mean.

I also managed, as always, to find the most depressing line of the song to quote for you: “So sick of holding back, so tired of holding on. I want to pick myself apart.” Sounds painful.

I picked up Kevin Worrell’s CD at Pandemonium Books, which is now also carrying my CD and many other local artists.

I have to say that the Valley’s local business community is probably the most local music friendly people I have ever met.

Samples of Kevin Worrell’s music can be heard at www.kevinshorse.com.

Josh Cole is a local musician and CD connoisseur. For a possible review of a new release, e-mail Cole at lettersfromthevoid@yahoo.com or at Myspace.com/familiarwalls.