Review Summary: What could have been a great release from The Kinison is taken away by some filler tracks, and songs that just aren't worth the listen. While the opening tracks give hope, the later tracks slow down the pace of the album.
While some people consider The Kinison’s “What Are You Listening To?” to be too generic, and not original, it could be one of the most original albums that I own. I first heard of The Kinison from the Atticus Dragging The Lake: 3, which featured the song
You’ll Never Guess Who Died. I was immediately was interested in the band and decided to pick up the album. All the guitar parts are very basic and repetitive; And for the first 5 songs or so it does not get old. It’s almost like the repetitive guitar parts that give it a different and unique feel to the music. However it does tend to drag and it is album that near the halfway marker it gets harder to listen to.
The opening track immediately drew me into the album.
The Farms And The Girls is a great opening track to the album. With a catchy guitar riff, leading right into the album. With a very catchy pre-chorus singing, “They said she suffered and lived right through this, I'm sorry I can't rely on you.” Most of the Kinison’s songs fuse together singing with screaming. The chorus is mostly sung with the occasional scream now and again. Chris Lewis’ singing and screaming talents while not phenomenal are great sounding and gives it another unique feeling.
You’ll Never Guess Who Died was featured on Atticus Dragging The Lake: 3 and for a good reason. With catchier guitar parts and an even more catchy bass line the song hits you hard. When the vocals come in you know that it is a great song. The whole song is a build up until around 2:27 when the screaming comes in. It hits you hard with full force and is definitely a song to move around to.
Lake Calmern Is Full Now is yet another catchy guitar opening and a basic drum beat it moves fast into the chorus, which is Chris Lewis’ vocals overlapping in short intervals to make it seem as if a chorus is singing. Around the middle of the song a female vocalist comes in and sings in the background and is one of the highlights of the album. After that is basically the chorus and it leaves you wanting more. After this it tends to get old and repetitive. Such as the track
I Have Something To Say. which is basically a disgrace. It is nearly two minutes of Lewis screaming “I have something to say!” It is absolutely filler and should not have been on the record.
You Kissed Lily is also another song to skip. Lewis basically sings the whole song about how someone kissed Lily (whoever she may be) and mocks him for it. Another filler track that doesn’t really deserve to be on the album.
Overall The Kinison’s “What Are You Listening To?” is overall a decent album that gets slow around the middle, and although is catchy and times, it gets a little too repetitive for it’s own good. Even fans of the genre may not like this record because of its many let downs, after the opening tracks gave such promise.
Recommended Tracks:
The Farm And The Girls
You’ll Never Guess Who Died
Lake Calmern Is Full Now
PROs
Catchy guitar and bass parts
Interesting Vocals
CONs
Horrible placement of songs
Two too many filler tracks
Could’ve been much better
3/5
