The St. Louis native and veteran singer-songwriter Kevin Koplar turns in an impressive debut, where the drummer Brendan Buckley and Funky Butt Brass Band are along for the folk tunes that pack a bit of a bite and are both raw and unpredictable.
The thumping and charged folk-rock of “If You Knock Hard Enough” opens with Koplar’s very distinct voice guiding the gritty melodies and powerful horns via the FBBB. “Broken Breeze” then recruits warm acoustic guitar for a campfire ambience that builds into an orchestral backdrop thanks to a string quartet, and “Blood Sugar” offers a poetic moment of vivid wordplay alongside light guitar that erupts into an animated, retro-rocker.
The middle tracks treat us to the pretty keys and dreaminess of “Love, Lies & Lust” that gets a bit busy later, plus the buzzing, power-pop fun of the bouncy and infectious “The Givers”. It’s a song so great, you’d swear you heard it on the radio years ago and sang along with the windows rolled down. “Autopsy-Turvy” then balances soft gestures with punchy moments of rhythmic and percussively strong flavor.
The final three tracks continue the diversity. “Emiley” is a fun duet of anthemic songwriting that you just can’t not sing-along to, while “Tugboat” offer a heartfelt delivery of intimate singing and rich musicianship that gets pretty firm near the end. “Laugh Alone” exits, and uses indie-rock ideas for a colorful and authentic finish.
Few genres are off limits here, as Koplar borrows from funk, garage, soul, Big Band, blues, jazz, pop and rock in a way that can bring to mind Bob Dylan and Jack White simultaneously. For fans of rock’nroll from any era, this is a record that demands your attention and makes a lasting impression.
