By Monk
It has to be admitted that Steve Conte is probably one of the singularly most ridiculously prodigious and productive talents to have come out of the Noo Yawk rawk ‘n’f’n’ roll scene in the past three decades, what with playing in, collaborating with, writing for and producing more crazy-ass bands and artists than most of us have had fish suppers in the same period. FFS, every time I open an email from my good friend Malibu Lou I see yer man’s name mentioned alongside nearly every act on Rum Bar’s roster… when does he find the time to sleep? Ah well, we’ll do that when we’re dead…
This latest project sees him teaming up with a talent whose name I have not come across before, Kim Olin, to produce an EP that touches on a diversity of styles, from pure out-and-out rock ‘n’ roll to heart-wrenching countrified torch singing to blissed-out blues, such is the depth of talent that each of the two main protagonists is able to bring to this project.
The opening track is Conte’s forte and signature, a balls-out street punk singalong which sees us all gladly helping ourselves to a piece of this rawk ‘n’ rollin’ pie, and then salivating for more. Of course, that comes immediately, with the Pretenders-ish pop friendliness of ‘Can’t Get You Off My Mind’, which has one of those melodies you won’t dislodge from yours anytime soon and a superb vocal from Olin, an aritst about whom I’ll definitely find out more, and asafp!
Olin does have a distinctly Chrissie Hynde quality to her voice, that mix of fragility of confidence, which is exemplified on the suitably titled ‘Broken’, which displays an underlying but unmistakable strength, aided and abetted by the beautiful slide background. This is a theme carried into ‘A Woman Alone’, a slice of blue collar abandonment that would gleefully embrace itself in the catalogues of the likes of Bonnie Riatt. Closer ‘You’re Killing Me’ neatly rounds off all the previously present elements, combining a neatly punk riff with an acidic vocal that cuts right to the core of its message.
A brilliant amalgam of styles but with a singular message, this is a powerful and enlightening listen. So, listen to it. NOW.
- ‘Leather Catsuit‘ is released on Friday (7 April).
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