Review: Kopek "White Collar Lies"

Listening to the upcoming CD "White Collar Lies" by the Irish trio Kopek, I was amazed at how great they sounded for a 'new' band. But turns out they are not such a 'new' band - they've been honing their craft since 2002, relentlessly touring and writing. As a result, their long-awaited debut album, "White Collar Lies", promises to be a breakout record for this outstanding hard rock outfit. And it is not just me who thinks so - the boys in Topek (Daniel Jordan (vocals, guitar), Brad Kinsella (bass), and Shane Cooney (drums)) have managed to attract some serious talent to help usher in this new voice in rock and roll: Multi-Grammy Award winning Tom Lord Alge did the mixing and multi-Grammy Award winning Ted Jensen (Sterling Sound) mastered “White Collar Lies”. They have played all over the world to stadium crowds and won Global Battle of the Bands. With a show that would blow steel off an armored tank, Kopek will be one of the must see bands in 2010.

Kopek plays with a chemistry that is usually only found in bands that have been around a lot longer than these guys. They have the energy of a bristling young group but the songwriting smarts and performance talents of seasoned musical veterans. Yes, they can shred the guitars, thump the bass, and pound the drums like the world is going to end, but they realize that this means nothing without creating a memorable hook in the song. Kopek also takes on the evils of the corporate world and politics in their lyrics, providing an angst filled soundtrack as a backdrop to the theme. Daniel Jordan has a scratchy voice built for modern rock, but he controls the grit in his vocals to achieve a broader appeal amongst potential fans. The first half of "White Collar Lies" is one of the best string of modern hard rock songs I've heard in a long time.

"White Collar Lies" begins with the sizzling "Cocaine Chest Pains" before launching into the moving title track, an indictment of the greed polluting corporate mentality. "Fever" is a sexy rock and roll tune that should be playing in a strip club near you soon. "Love Is Dead", the lead single, is another shout along anthem with some terrific grooves to match. "Floridian" is probably the most radio-friendly tune in the bunch with "Bigger Than Us All" being a close second.

Kopek should take the world by storm - don't miss out. "White Collar Lies" is what modern rock is all about. Check them out if you groove to The Exies, My Chemical Romance, or Tremelo.

iPOD-worthy: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10

Kopek on MySpace. Official site.

Check out the video for first single, "Love Is Dead":


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