No more King’s self-titled debut is catchy and easy-to-listen to, providing a platform for vocalist Pete Mitchell to use his clear tone delivery effectively. If you listen to the lyrics carefully, there are many pop culture references to familiar names such as Charlie Brown, MC Hammer, Gulliver’s Travels, Knight Rider and The Karate Kid. These are fun to discover when you don’t have the lyrics sitting next to you.
There are also times when an instrument, such as a trumpet, is used to accent a melody line without overpowering the song. This is true in “Someday,” the track I return to each time I listen to this release. The chorus of this track (“Someday I’ll know / if I left me on my own / how far would I go? / Someday I’ll know.”) provides food for thought. The lyrics in the opening track “Zombie Me” set the tone for a fun-filled energetic ride through 13 tracks of funk-influenced guitar rock: “And all the zombies in the house say . . .”
The Billy Joel-inspired piano of “About Schroeder” is a tremendous accomplishment as Mitchell tells the story of Sally and her love affair with the boy who ignores her efforts. I never really thought about their relationship, but Mitchell crafts an entertaining song about it. The lyrics on this release continually cause guilty pleasure…
The next track, “God Breathed,” is a humourous tale about the Adam in the Bible sitting “all alone giving names to squirrels / self-obsessed so depressed in his own little world” and are beautifully delivered by Mitchell with a subtle, convincing tone. “Girl in the Sea” is another standout track. Using violins and hand-claps and delicate background vocals, the song is as beautiful as the girl it describes.
No More Kings is a great band. They deserve to find an audience because their music is unique and refreshing. They are not metal, they are not punk, they are not country, they are not jazz – yet, if you listen closely, you can hear influences from all of these genres in various degrees throughout these thirteen tracks. View the band’s The Karate Kid-influenced video at www.sweeptheleg.com if you want a visual representation of the band.
