Yes, 88 singer/guitarist Keith Slettedahl channels Ray Davies remarkably well, but Kind of Light is more than a simple Village Green Preservation
Society redux. By mixing sun-fried Hollywood sensibilities and a debt to
the Band into a rich, orchestral sound, the 88 deliver an accomplished debut.
Guitars, pianos and sunny vocal harmonies compete for attention on the elegantly
bright "Elbow Blues," while "Afterlife" turns woozy and watery with slide
guitar and rhythmic swagger. Plenty of English groups have drawn liberally
from American R&B and soul. But with its strong roots in Americana and
an eye toward both the Sixties and Nineties British Invasions, Kind of Light shines as an assertion that turnabout is fair play.
MARK WOODLIEF
All The Same
Afterlife
Elbow Blues
How Good It Can Be
Kind Of Light
No Use Left For Me
God Is Coming
Hate Me
I'm A Man
Melting In The Sun
Sunday Afternooon
Something Had Me Good
Hard To Be You
