Kevin Sandbloom’s New Red Llama Music Release, “Under Pink and Bourbon Skies”
So you ask, “Hey, rasx()! What is Kevin Sandbloom?” Well, you take the extremely talented D’Angelo and the extremely talented Ani DiFranco, mix it with the mystery of even more humanity and you get Kevin Sandbloom.
Kevin Sandbloom is the kind of performer the Undercover Black Man should have reviewed years ago—and I am pleased as punch to beat him to it. Hah! Got ya! First of all, for you kids out there (who actually, truly discover music), every sound that comes out of Kevin Sandbloom’s mouth is a note—not a dead-president note—but a musical note you write out on a scale. And, since Kevin clearly is a serious student of soul, not only does he sing notes but he sings them on the beat—and usually that beat is funky—even when it’s just him and his acoustic guitar. I’m sorry Fumi, but Michael Franti is out of pocket on this one.
So the new Kevin Sandbloom release is Under Pink and Bourbon Skies which is available as a direct download—and the backlog of work you can find at AmazonMP3.com. The latest work reminds me of the same design goals of PJ Harvey’s Uh Huh Her—to be economical, pared down, efficient—to be big in the smallness. This is most apparent in the song “Girl.” Even when Sanbloom celebrates with the cover song, “A Song for You,” this spirit of efficient economy is still there. Too many contemporary musicians forget that rhythm, funk and blues is about efficiency and economy—showing effortlessly how much you can make of so little. Kevin Sandbloom’s latest is a timely, complementary respite for these tough economic times.