Steal the Spotlight's review of KICKS!
Lets get the party started I mean this band started at a party, yeah that’s it. Stewart began when Andrea meet John at a party they were attending. Ever since they have been play music together. The band has played numerous shows in NYC and Brooklyn and played Chick Rockfest in Cincinnati. The band has released a full length album titled Jawbreaker and an EP Existing at Extremes. They are now back with another album titled Kicks. The lead single, which opens the album, is a theme song to comic “The Mighty Skullboy Army.” “Dance With Me” opens the album up with a blast of energy. It has a Green Day feel to it with the guitars and drums spinning you in circles while the female vocals give it a great vibe. The lyrics are as catchy as the music and will drill into your brain and stay there. The track could be more upfront especially the vocals. They are a tad to quiet and need to stand out more, but it’s still a fun song. “Consider Me Gone” kick up the vocals some. This time they don't shadow the music, but are right up there with them. musically I think that this is just as catchy as the opening track, but vocally its not. It doesn’t hurt the song in the very least as it’s a huge fun loving track that is twisted up by the lyrics. “Ride the Wave” opens up with Andrea saying “I’m so happy” which cracked me up because she sure as hell didn’t sound like it. It doesn’t have the energy as the first two tracks, but the sarcasm makes up for it. The track really will get you to laugh. “Goodbye” is a sweet track with sweet lyrics that I can hear everyone singing along with. The music is fun and is a party waiting to happen. They change up the tunes a couple times as it sounds like they get super serious then go right back to an “I don’t give a shit” attitude. They do start to start to repeat towards the ends which hurts it. “Gone” slows the album down to a heartfelt track and just seems to just glide along. It has the feeling that she is sitting on a bus looking out the window singing to herself. That is what I see in my mind when I listen to the track. It has that vibe to it. Speaking of vibes, “Same to You” has a sweet upbeat one. They kick the album back into high gear with a Warped worthy track with raw vocals and tunes that will get you moving. They do slow the track vocally for a bit with some “oh oh’s” then turn it right back up with a kickass guitar solo that will rock your socks off. “Aloof” is a weird, but fun track that has messed up lyrics that I can see everyone screaming at the top of their lungs. It is so strange it awesome that is just simple. “Who We Are” finished the album with another strange offering gliding along with a funky tone. Its short and sweet, but I’m not sure it really does anything. The bonus track though is the true finisher which wraps up the album the way it should be. Overall the album is okay. Its not spectacular, but offers up some great tunes for a party. They also would make a great addition to Warped Tour if that’s what fancied them. maybe they just caught me in a great mood, but this album is fun and funky at the same time. It is a party waiting to be let out of the box. The weird style is strangely entertaining, super catchy, and will leave you puzzled on why you want more. Stewart may have something going years after bands like Green Day and Weezer have perfected what they do. The quirky sound needs to be bolstered up a bit more, but this album is a step in that direction.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Tracks to Watch:
Consider Me Gone, Same To You
Track List:
1. Dance With Me
2. Consider Me Gone
3. Ride the Wave
4. Goodbye
5. Gone
6. Same to You
7. Aloof
8. Who We Are
Original article can be found here:
http://www.stealthespotlightzine.com/stewart_kicks.html
