Kevin Whitton - Lo-Fi Buzz

Kevin Whitton

Lo-Fi Buzz
self-released; 2014

3.3 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

For anyone who is a songwriter and has been in a band there usually comes a time when you write music that doesn’t quite work with the dynamic of the other members. We have seen countless solo careers some of which have been incredibly successful and some of which probably would have benefitted by just playing drums in the band. 

Kevin Whitton of The Still Roads had this situation pop and decided to record some of his songs and release them. The twelve songs on Lo-Fi Buzz consist of guitar, vocals and other less integral elements. There are some songs that are well written while others miss the mark. I have to say some of the adverse aspects come from the recording quality.

Whitton opens with “Intro:How not to play guitar” which showcases some very impressive lead work. He sure can shred but the high-end frequencies on recording make it hard to enjoy. Good luck turning it up because your ears will ring. The most success from an aesthetic standpoint were the acoustic based songs such as “6 Ft Small.” Whitton finds warmth within his acoustic guitar and has a good voice when you can hear it.  “Rooster” finds moderate success and further exemplifies the technically impressive aspects of his music. 

“Rock and Soul” is a highlight that revolves around some mean blues guitar. The guitar and vocals blend into a mess that somehow works. If it was more of a mess it would have fell apart. As the album progresses the acoustic songs like “Heart of a Lyon” have a tinge of Bon Iver while “Sir Jamsalot” combines a field recording (I heard a phone ringing) with Stevie Ray Vaughn-esque guitar solos.  

On Whitton’s Bandcamp page he considers these songs demos. That’s what they sound like but for demos they were a number of songs that were enjoyable.

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