It’s easy to dismiss a group that actually touts their young age of 16. It’s almost a requirement to immediate throw one such CD into, “wait until they have a few more years under their belt” bin without a listen.
The judges at the 2004 SoundOff! music competition in Seattle would beg to differ, awarding the young gents from The Lonely H with some time at Orbit Studios, from which Kick Upstairs emerged.
Mark Fredson on lead vocals and keyboards ranges from Craig Macintosh (Dogs Die In Hot Cars) to a piano bar crooner their moms would die for, especially on ditties such as “Sweet Madeline” with sad song horns and “Zelda,” a ballad that could cause a diabetic fit for some. Checking out the DVD that accompanies the CD, a live rendition of “Zelda” throws the high school dance crowd into a frenzy; no doubt showcasing a local fan base of jail bait.
“Dragonius,” “Ken” and “Electric Change” show the boys have more meat on the bones, throwing down riffs that make their blonde locks imitate another rocker from Seattle who was starting out when they were a mere twinkle in the eye. Thrashing aside, they are still not able to resist injecting interludes of skipping-down-the-cobblestone-path, which is either going to embraced or shunned, depending on the listener.
The Loney H has come out of the gate with a solidly produced, musically tight debut album that’s led by a singer with fabulous set of pipes and agile fingers. The rest of the players do their part as well and the foursome seems to have the kind of connection that could take them far.
