SweetKiss Momma Revival Rock
by Joe Mis
Staff Writer
Southern rock that doesn’t come from the South – how good can that be? You’d be surprised…
From out of the Pacific Northwest (Puyallup, Wash. to be precise) comes SweetKiss Momma, and they deliver twelve tracks of intense old-school blues-based rock without apology on their debut CD Revival Rock. This quintet powers out thick guitar riffs and heavy grooves that hearken back to the glory days of Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers and proves that the genre still has lots of life left in it. This album follows up their self-titled 2008 EP release.
Revival Rock is true to its name. SweetKiss Momma’s music brings back memories of simpler forms of music – the days before heavy keyboards and fancy overdubs and harmonizer effects. It truly is “roots rock” in every sense of the term. The music is warm and uncluttered, filled only with solid guitars, basic catchy hooks and good vocals. A good deal of the warmth comes from some fine engineering which manages to bring out many subtleties without sounding artificial or overdone – no studio trickery here – and it is very appropriate to the genre.
Led strongly by the voice of Jeff Hamel (who also contributes guitar and harmonica), SweetKiss Momma fires on all cylinders from the rowdy tone of “Ready To Go” to the laid back “Slow Fade”. Joining Hamel are fellow guitarists Aaron Arnold and Waid Hoyt – fine players all. Randy Jackson contributes some solid bass riffs and Tyson Lickert does a good job on the drums – making for a very capable rhythm section. Whether pounding out heavy riffs or laying back for a slower track, the members of SKM play well together and make the music flow – just as good blues rock should.
Musical highlights include the almost danceable groove to “Ready To Go,” the great lyrics and mellow tone of the quintessential lazy afternoon song “Slow Fade,” the hot guitar licks of “Mercy Love,” the smooth vocal lines of “Strange Fire,” and the musical bounce of “Ounce Left Of Pride” and “Sugar In Raw.”
At times the album plods a bit, but for the most part it keeps at a nice slow boil. Well-written, soulful songs about life, love and celebration make a pleasant change from the doom and gloom that seems to fill most modern rock. The band makes the point on their web site that the album was recorded on old analog equipment which more than likely accounts for exceptionally warm tone of the album – another nice change.
On the whole, Revival Rock is highly recommended for any old-school blues-rock or southern rock fan. It may not appeal to everyone but if you like thick and juicy riffs then this is the place to be. Not a perfect album, but a very good debut.
Genre: Southern Rock
Band:
Jeff Hamel (vocals, guitar, harmonica)
Randy Jackson (bass)
Aaron Arnold (guitar, vocals)
Waid Hoyt (guitar, vocals)
Tyson Lickert (drums)
Track Listing:
1. Ready To Go
2. Son of the Mountain
3. Slow Fade
4. Mercy Love
5. Rocket Ride
6. Strange Fire
7. Sweet Little Thing
8. Ounce Left of Pride
9. Sugar in the Raw
10. Come Clean
11. Good God Woman
12. To Help a Man
Label: Indie
Website: www.skmband.com , www.myspace.com/sweetkissmomma
Hardrock Haven rating: 7.5/10