Artist: Stephen Kellogg
Album: Blunderstone Rookery
Bitrate: 244kbps avg
Quality: EAC Secure Mode / LAME 3.98.4 / -V0 / 44.100Khz
Label: Elm City / Universal
Genre: Rock
Size: 83.63 megs
PlayTime: 0h 45min 28sec total
Rip Date: 2013-06-25
Store Date: 2013-06-19
Track List:
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01. Lost And Found 3:12
02. The Brain Is A Beautiful Thing 3:08
03. Forgive You, Forgive Me 3:21
04. Men & Women 3:26
05. Crosses 3:17
06. I Don't Want To Die On The Road 3:38
07. Good Ol' Days 4:02
08. Good Red Wine (Feat. Audra Mae) 5:14
09. The Best 3:13
10. Thanksgiving 10:00
11. Ingrid's Song 2:57
Release Notes:
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Stephen KelloggÆs new album ôBlunderstone Rookeryö is being released at turning
point in his career and life. Within the last year he has lost his Grandmother
and Mother-in-law. In addition, his band (Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers) has
decided to take a break. It is fitting that the album takes its name from a
character in ôDavid Copperfieldö. So much happened to Stephen Kellogg in the
last year, that I would imagine his life feels a bit like a Dickens novel. This
comparison can even be taken a step further. Dickens typically used difficult
circumstances and adversity as his backdrop to bring light to realities that
society ignored. However, it was his characters perseverance and the authorÆs
witty sarcasm that made the stories compelling. So it is with Stephen Kellogg,
Instead of an album of dark mourning and songs of pain, ôBlunderstone Rookeryö,
presents an artist that is moving forward with wit and wisdom in tow.
Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers were together for over ten years, and it is
likely that we have not heard the last of them. It is not as if things blew up
in some sort of Yoko Ono type sabotage. After a decade of constant touring, they
decided to take a break. Kellogg received a lot of critical acclaim and a loyal
following during that time. Critics tried to hang the proverbial alt-country
moniker on the band. It was a loose fit at best, but it sounded cooler than just
calling a good Rock and Roll band.
ôBlunderstone Rookeryö is a well-conceived straight forward Rock and Roll album.
The songs are mostly mid-tempo and reflect a songwriter that obviously has a
great record collection. This is an album you can just sit back and enjoy, but
Kellogg doesnÆt let the listener off that easy. The lyrics have to be dealt
with. Kellogg doesnÆt preach, nor does he try to hide behind obscure imagery. In
the midst of catchy hooks and compelling melodies he inserts lyrics that deliver
meaning. Kellogg uses these lyrics to share his interpretations, yet he doesnÆt
feel the need to have all of the answers. ôThanksgivingö is a perfect example.
It starts out with a long Choral intro then transitions into what he refers to
as a ôCavalcade of memoriesö, which in turn provide a meteor shower of
observations. It is hard for a parent to listen to the song and ignore the line
ôIt takes minutes to make us a baby and years to remember what that was aboutö.
ôForgive you, Forgive meö, is reminiscent of Tom Petty both in musical style and
in the use of straightforward lyrics. The Country influenced ôCrossesö uses the
imagery of roadside memorials, ôI wish that I could save you from the wreckage
of your last goodbyeö.
If everyone could make career transitions this smooth, there would be no need
for Ponzi schemes. Trust meà.. ôBlunderstone Rookeryö is a worthy investment.