| REVIEWS |
Josh
Kelley
For the Ride Home
(Hollywood)
With a cup, of what I can only presume is coffee, in his hand,
Josh Kelley is setting a good example for those about to listen
to his album, For The Ride Home. The slow and somewhat
drifting melodies may make it a necessity for you to consume
more than one cup of coffee to stay awake for this one. It is
soothing in a dull way. If the songs are not listened to successively,
the incredibly slow and unenergetic tones manage to keep you
in a state of teetering wakefulness. Like many of the CDs I
do not find appealing, this one has had its share of praise.
I will tell you now that if you like John Mayer, for his music
not his money or looks, then you will most likely find yourself
basking in the leisure melodies of Josh Kelley. As far as this
slow rock genre goes, I have found only three artists with the
ability to hold my interest and incite my praise, Josh Kelley
is not among them.
On the upside, Kelley veers from the path many of the soon-to-be
big things are guided on. He writes his own songs! Who would
have ever imagined such a concept? I know that there are some
artists in each wave of music that bombards us on the radio,
who write their own songs. Still, they are so few in number
that when an artist with mainstream potential, like this one
(especially given the success of Mr. Mayer), are willing to
brave the critics with music entirely of their own, it is comforting.
So what have we learned? This album is a good choice for fans
of slow rock that does not quite rival John Mayer, but may in
some time. Josh Kelley may just have a place reserved for him
in the top ten of some pop radio station. Lastly, this album
is indeed a great CD for the ride home. That is, if you have
a long drive ahead of you and you’re the lucky passenger
who has the luxury of sleeping.
Reviewed by
Shivani Verma
November 5th, 2003 |
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