ALBUM:
Fearless
TAYLORS USED:
K22
855
314ce
810
SONG CLIPS:
A Little Bit of Magic
28k | 56K
Little Soldier
28k | 56K
CONTACT INFO:
The Westwood Entertainment Group
1031 Amboy Ave., Suite 202
Edison, NJ 08837-2814
Tel:
(732) 225-8600
Fax:
(732) 225-8644
E-mail:
gretsche63 @yahoo .com
Web:
www. westwoodgrp .com
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Some of the gleaming pop confections on Kevin McCabe's Fearless sound more like John Lennon that some of Lennon's own solo tunes did. The vocal reverb, confessional
lyrics, and other Lennon/Beatles production footnotes notwithstanding, McCabe delivers the goods: simple but infectious melodies, tight, expressive vocal arrangements,
and an inventive blend of eclectic musical elements that subtlely distinguish McCabe's songs from his Liverpudlian forebears. In fact, McCabe's influences reach further
back on the music timeline, to the upbeat "skiffle" bands and early rock 'n' roll that inspired the Beatles and an entire generation of Brits. His "acoustipop" style
also embraces contemporary American folk-rock, and takes a simpler more distilled approach to songcraft. McCabe clearly loves a great melody, knows where to drop his
minor chords, and isn't afraid to serve up innocent romantic tracks like "A Night Like This", "Just Three Words", and "When Souls Collide". It's the timeless, rather
than the flavor-of-the-month trend, that McCabe shoots for, and nails.
"Stella" bounces along with a doubletime beat, bouncy bass, and folky harmonica melody that gives way to a punchy chorus break of acoustic guitar chords soaked in
Hammond B-3. "A Night Like This" and " A Little Bit of Magic" incorporate exotic, tabla-like percussion. "Little Soldier" is half-Beatles, half-Broadway, as McCabe's
elastic vibrato slips into the deceptively sweet words of a fascist leader, while a somber double bass and violins couch the spare military rat-a-tat-tat of the snare
drum. In most songs, McCabe finds just the right ingredients to accent the richly acoustic sound of his chord progressions.
The New Jersey singer-songwriter has been crafting music for years, at one time at the creative nucleus of the rock band Airborne, and more recently, as the producer
for assorted pop, rock, and R&B artists. As a solo artist, he's opened for Adrian Belew, John Eddie, and Glen Burtnik. Of his Taylors, McCabe says: "They never let me
down, mic'd up great [with] no drastic EQ horrors, stayed in tune 99 percent of the time, [and were] inspiring."
"This is as fun and intelligent as rock 'n' roll gets."
— Robert Makin, The Aquarian Weekly (New Jersey)
"McCabe's charming spirit of love and happiness shines through on every cut…. I don't see how anyone with a pop sensibility could give this release anything but a thumbs up."
— John Fortunato, The Splatter Effect
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