The One And Only

Kim Lenz & the Jaguars

Hightone Records, 1997

http://kimlenz.com

REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 11/15/1999

If you have any doubts that rockabilly is still alive, well and thriving, you haven't heard music from bands like Kim Lenz And The Jaguars lately.

The group's second release, The One And Only, shows that one of the cornerstones of rock music is still a fun, viable means of entertainment, and this band knows how to swing like the best of them.

The band - vocalist/rhythm guitarist Lenz, lead guitarist Nick Curran, bassist Shawn Supra and drummer Scotty Tecce - strikes an interesting medium in their music. They don't try to throw their musical style back to the '50s, but they also don't try to modernize their sound to fit in with the dawn of a new millenium. The end result is an honest-sounding music that balances the musical past with the present. Confused yet? Don't be; let the music explain it to you.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

Lenz is able to keep an innocent face on songs like "If You Don't Like My Peaches (Don't Shake My Tree)" and "Stick Em Up Honey" while not losing an ounce of power in her vocals or guitar licks. Providing a decent mix of originals with cover versions (including some songs written by label stablemates like Carl Sonny Leyland), the overall feel of The One And Only is as smooth as a frozen lemonade on a summer day.

Not every track hits the mark; songs like "Somebody Lied," "Rock And Roll Guitar" and "Truest Love" just don't seem to be of the same grade as most of the material. But when Lenz and crew hit songs like "Choctaw Boogie," "Howl At The Moon" and "You've Met Your Match," you can almost see people getting up to dance to this stuff.

The One And Only is a surprisingly short listen; even with 14 tracks on this disc, it still clocks in at just over 32 minutes. In a way, this might be a good thing; it's almost as if Lenz and crew knew how much music they could put on the disc without overstaying their welcome. (As much as I can appreciate rockabilly, I do admit it gets to sounding old real quick.)

If you liked the debut effort from Kim Lenz And The Jaguars from last year, you'll love The One And Only. If you're not familiar with rockabilly, this disc will undoubtedly make you want to hear more. If you don't like rockabilly, The One And Only might help to change your mind about this type of music.

Rating: B+

User Rating: Not Yet Rated


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© 1999 Christopher Thelen and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Hightone Records, and is used for informational purposes only.