One of the best pieces of advice ever offered to me went something like this: whatever you choose to do, do it with passion. Do it with commitment. Go all in and give it everything you’ve got.
Kyle Lacy is all in on early rock and roll—think Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly—and his wholehearted embrace of the sound, feel, and attitude of that musical era makes all the difference.
The Record Hop!—Lacy’s third studio album—is the first that’s fully devoted to this particular musical vision, walking in the footsteps of the architects of modern rock and roll. Lacy’s aim is to deliver original music that honors that sonic heritage, and the authentic passion and joy Lacy and band pour into their work here brings out all kinds of playfulness, showmanship and flair, with the end result feeling effortless and masterful all at once.
Lacy describes his sound on The Record Hop! as “as pure rock’n’roll, influenced in equal portions by the rockabilly of Carl Perkins and blues of Freddie King.” In this craftsman’s hands, every touch and detail is spot on, from the reverb on the drums to a guitar sound that’s vintage yet full of fire, to the call-and-answer vocal dynamics and sassy horn section.
The album opens in style with big, bold early rock number “One Trick Pony,” accompanied by fat horns, rambunctious bass and rockabilly drums. Lacy also acknowledges Brian Setzer and the Stray Cats as influences, and you can hear it right away. “More Than That!” follows with a burst of greasy blues, the horns playing off the rhythm section and guitar and doing a sort of call-and-response with Lacy’s lead vocal.
“Cryin’ And Shakin’” is a suitably hip-shaking number in the Buddy Holly / Carl Perkins tradition, with the horn section having a blast. (Make sure to catch the video, filmed at Sun Studios—a nice touch.) Then “Lucky Ducky” offers up a mid-tempo blues lightened by harmonies, organ and horns, that finds Lacy celebrating his partner in every way; it’s both flirty and utterly sincere.
Harmony vocalist Amanda D’Amico enjoys a moment in the spotlight with a lead vocal turn on “Love Spectator,” a bluesy, rather lounge-y showcase for her sultry and stylish vocals. Then “Everlasting, Everchanging” delivers a taste of Muscle Shoals r&b flair with the horns swinging hard; it’s a sweet, upbeat song of devotion.
Eight of these 10 tracks are Lacy originals; the first cover to surface is “Two To Tango,” a playful Lacy-D’Amico duet originally performed by Ray Charles and Betty Carter. Next up, “Playing In My Head” is a super-fun rockabilly-fueled barn burner. For contrast’s sake, it’s followed by the slow-burning blues “Give Back My Name,” with every player in the band nailing a lively arrangement.
The album closes with the most outside-the-box tune here, the Tower Of Power cover “What Is Hip?” The band brings a fiery, dynamic funk spirit to the most modern sound heard here—as in 1971 Sly & The Family Stone. It’s a musical cherry on top for this trip through the history of rock and roll.
“This is the album I have always wanted to make,” says Lacy, and that passion shows in every groove and riff found here. Lacy and D’Amico are joined by fellow New Yorkers Manny Williams and Trevor Brown on bass; Joe Cosmo Cogen, Luke Markham and JC Myska on drums;
Billy Aukstik on trumpet, Cole Stone-Frisina on sax, and Robby Schwartz on organ and piano.
The Record Hop! is the truest kind of labor of love, fueled by affection and passion for the early rock and roll that set millions of hips shaking and toes tapping. It’s a sound that changed the world, and revisiting and reviving it is a genuinely joyful experience.
