Kevin Seconds’ special brand of broody, vaguely rockabilly-esque acoustic (as is the wont for your traditional punk frontman’s solo efforts) hits a more optimistic peak with this latest full-length.
A recent interview that I conducted with the man himself here touches upon the reasons behind his newest lease on life: Kevin and Allyson Seconds (who continues to provide backup guitar and vocals for this EP) were struggling to reconnect after the closure of their duly run café, The True Love Coffee House. Once Kevin was able to slow himself down long enough to listen to his wife’s concerns more (and honor them,) “Off Stockton” emerged like a phoenix from the rubble. Kevin points to “O Let Me Try,” in particular, as that moment of clarity for him, when he knew that he and Ally were officially over the hump.
Kevin also leaves the fuck-ups on the album – his trademark – which remind us all not to take life too fucking seriously. “Off Stockton” is a nice addition to your more mellow collection, and you can laugh along as he instructs us to “Get these idiots to sing” in “Run Run Run.”
The album tells the man’s personal story beautifully, and you can’t help but relate. Kevin still keeps the 7 Seconds vibe alive with “Broken And The Bend” with lyrics like “We’re fighting people with our voices and our fists, but none of expect much victory tonight.”
Because Kevin is careful to keep the vibe consistent, I am confident that any fan will be happy to have a copy of this LP in their collection.
4/5 Stars