"Drift" is the first solo CD from Ken Block (Sister Hazel). After a few listens, it is a bit unclear to me why he bothered to do a solo project that sounds nothing unlike Sister Hazel. His Sister Hazel bandmates contribute extensively to this record, most notably Drew Copeland . Drew's vocal support produces the trademark Sister Hazel harmonies. In essence, there is virtually no "drift" from Sister Hazel at all, perhaps explaining why I like this record so much.
Ken Block explores familiar lyrical terrain on "Drift", pondering life's mysteries with a sense of humor and sarcasm. He challenges us to converse about the big questions, most notably on "We Don't Talk Anymore", as he reflects upon life in his charming and sometimes self-effacing way. There is an abundance of good acoustic-based rockers on this one, with several nice ballads thrown in for good measure. Thankfully, "Drift" is not a mere collection of Ken's inferior songs that the guys from Sister Hazel might have vetoed.
"Blue To A Blind Man" is a gentle opener featuring Ken Block in a rare duet with the beautifully sweet voice of Maile Misajon. Ken kicks up some dirt with the crunchy mid-tempo rocker, "The Other Side". He recounts his previous struggle with addiction in "Completely Wasted", gives Steve Miller a nod in "It's Alright" (hoo hoo), and rides high on an alt-country rocker called "I Don't Mind" (video below). "Better This Way" sounds like a sequel to "Champaign High", but it doesn't top it. The record has a very strong finish with a string of standout tracks such as "So Far", "Ride", and "You and Me".
Ken Block is one of the most genuine and honest songwriters out there today. If you enjoy "Drift", you should become a "Hazelnut" and forage into his complete discography with Sister Hazel.
iPOD-worthy: 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12
Ken Block on MySpace. Official site.
Check out the video for "I Don't Mind":
1 comment:
Great review.... This is a fantastic, deep, clever and witty CD. Ken Block is an American songwriting gem.
But just to be clear about the Hazel band mate contributions -- Drew Copeland adds harmonies on ONLY ONE track (Better This way) which also features Jett Beres on Bass, and Guitarist Ryan Newell adds a guitar track on "33,059 days" and "you and me". That 3 songs total with Hazel conributions.
Ken does ALL the other vocals/harmonies except for the female vocal by Maile Misajon" that you mentioned on "Blue to a blind man".
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