From out of London comes the sound of Dodge City with Kill The Kid's debut EP, an accomplished amalgam of Southern Rock (Skynyrd, ZZ Top), 80s bands such as Bon Jovi and Cinderella and good ol' fashioned classic rock a la Lizzy, Queen and the like. 'Forged in the heat of 2020's lockdowns', Kill The Kid feature vocalist and songwriter Jed Kid and guitarist Andy 'Mad-Axe' Basiola and the duo have put together a five track EP that entertains and impresses at every turn and is a fine release to open the band's account with. And it comes with a fair amount of 'cowboy iconography' both in sound and look!
Opening track and single 'Don't Follow' kicks proceedings off with a twisty southern rock riff and lyrics around beating depression highlighted by it's 'I'll Hold My Head Up High' motif and with its hooky chorus and fine guitar embellishments is a great way to start the EP. Next track 'Take A Look' is a bluesy bar-room lament which with its lone piano and handclaps reeks of a 'stranger blowing into town' and 'spurs on a wooden bar floor' and with its interesting chord changes in the chorus and emoting vocal lines is an affecting ballad and a pleasing change of pace. 'I'll Have You' is another bluesy piece - a swinging, rollicking tune reminiscent of 70s ZZ Top and more up-to-date bluesers such as Joanne Shaw Taylor and Joe Bonamassa while 'I Once Had A Friend' comes on like a long lost 70s TV Western theme tune, complete with mariachi-styled trumpet blasts and another great chorus. It fair gallops along and would surely have the cantina rockin'! It's my favourite tune on the EP. EP closer 'You Don't Know My Name' is a stompin' tune that has some great double-tracked guitar playing and finishes the release with some elan.
'Kill The Kid' is a fine EP with confident, strident vocals and exemplary guitar playing, five great rockin' tunes and a sense of fun behind the whole thing. It promises much for the future from Kill The Kid and we look forward to hearing more material from Jed and Andy. All that's left is for you to 'hitch 'em up, move 'em out' and grab yourself a copy of this excellent release.
'Kill The Kid' is released on the 13th August and will be available on all the major digital sites.