Stephen Kellogg And The SixersThe Bear
Vanguard Records [2009]
Fire Note Says: An album you will pick up but not put down!
Album Review:
I will be honest when I tell you, that I am a sucker for a good ol' folk rock record and the new long player from Stephen Kellogg And The Sixers, absolutely fills my current void. The Massechusetts band, known by fans as SK6ERS, has been around since 2003 and has flown under the radar long enough, as The Bear finds thirty-two year old Kellogg at the top of his game. The songs all tell heartfelt stories of life, that everyone can relate to - especially those of comparable age and up. With tough personal songs like "My Old Man" and the superb closer "Born In The Spring", Kellogg & The Sixers show both sides of the high/low life spectrum but regardless of tempo or subject matter the boys in the band bring it home and make the next track played as vibrant as the first. Kellogg has a very similar delivery and vocal sound as Ryan Adams, which is why producer Tom Schick (Rufus Wainwright, Ryan Adams, Norah Jones) was the perfect selection for The Bear. The record is strong as is, but also gets more of a boost from its collaborations with Josh Ritter on "All Part Of The Show", popular Canadian singer Serena Ryder in "See Yourself" and the added help of Whiskeytown alum Mike Daly. The Bear is a record that has immediate appeal and timeless qualities, which makes it ideal to listen to now and it most certainly will sound fresh ten years from now. Stephen Kellogg and The Sixers are road tested at almost playing 1000 shows and have released their best album to date - it is time to jump on the bandwagon!
Key Tracks: "Born In The Spring", "Shady Esperanto And The Young Hearts", "My Old Man"
Bands With Similar Fire:
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals
Tim Easton
Wilco
Official SK6ERS Website
SK6ERS MySpace
SK6ERS Info [Allmusic]
Vanguard Records
-Reviewed by Sam DaMatta
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