Stephen Kellogg’s new album “Blunderstone Rookery†is being released at turning point in his career and life. Within the last year he has lost his Grandmother and Mother-in-law. In addition, his band (Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers) has decided to take a break. It is fitting that the album takes its name from a character in “David Copperfieldâ€. So much happened to Stephen Kellogg in the last year, that I would imagine his life feels a bit like a Dickens novel. This comparison can even be taken a step further. Dickens typically used difficult circumstances and adversity as his backdrop to bring light to realities that society ignored. However, it was his characters perseverance and the author’s witty sarcasm that made the stories compelling. So it is with Stephen Kellogg, Instead of an album of dark mourning and songs of pain, “Blunderstone Rookeryâ€, presents an artist that is moving forward with wit and wisdom in tow.
Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers were together for over ten years, and it is likely that we have not heard the last of them. It is not as if things blew up in some sort of Yoko Ono type sabotage. After a decade of constant touring, they decided to take a break. Kellogg received a lot of critical acclaim and a loyal following during that time. Critics tried to hang the proverbial alt-country moniker on the band. It was a loose fit at best, but it sounded cooler than just calling a good Rock and Roll band.
“Blunderstone Rookery†is a well-conceived straight forward Rock and Roll album. The songs are mostly mid-tempo and reflect a songwriter that obviously has a great record collection. This is an album you can just sit back and enjoy, but Kellogg doesn’t let the listener off that easy. The lyrics have to be dealt with. Kellogg doesn’t preach, nor does he try to hide behind obscure imagery. In the midst of catchy hooks and compelling melodies he inserts lyrics that deliver meaning. Kellogg uses these lyrics to share his interpretations, yet he doesn’t feel the need to have all of the answers. “Thanksgiving†is a perfect example. It starts out with a long Choral intro then transitions into what he refers to as a “Cavalcade of memoriesâ€, which in turn provide a meteor shower of observations. It is hard for a parent to listen to the song and ignore the line “It takes minutes to make us a baby and years to remember what that was aboutâ€. “Forgive you, Forgive meâ€, is reminiscent of Tom Petty both in musical style and in the use of straightforward lyrics. The Country influenced “Crosses†uses the imagery of roadside memorials, “I wish that I could save you from the wreckage of your last goodbyeâ€.
If everyone could make career transitions this smooth, there would be no need for Ponzi schemes. Trust me….. “Blunderstone Rookery†is a worthy investment.
Stephen Kellogg will be appearing at the Twangville Music Festival on Saturday June 29th at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, MA.
Click here for line-up details and here for artist bios, downloads & additional festival coverage.
About the author: Chip and his family live in Birmingham, AL. Roll Tide!