How would you classify your town? Comfortable? Dangerous? Supportive? Reticent? Diverse? Blind? Explosive? Dead? Maybe all of that and more? For Lucas Kellison, the easiest way to answer this question became the 14 tracks of the subversively and simplistically titled "My Town," a project Kellison has worked passionately on for over a year and a half.
To have passion is a prerequisite for the artist. For songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Kellison, not only would his passion drive him to voice his musical thoughts; a core of musicians joined Kellison on his first solo effort, "My Town," to bring his aural visions to life. What resulted is an album of eclectic, accessible, free-spirited, intense, candid and passionate performances from some of the most talented individuals in the Midwest.
Kellison's own musical pursuits have been just as varied. A veteran of the Midwest music scene already at the young age of 22, Kellison has been a part of some of the most prolific and crowd-pleasing bands in Nebraska over the past six years. Any fan of the Midwest music community is sure to fondly or fervently recall Jakk Six, Hammick, Animato, or Electric Soul Method. In addition to Kellison's stints with funk/soul/jazz combos, he has lent his smooth, piercing tenor voice to a cappella outfit No Better Cause for just as long.
All of these numerous influences and experiences find their own unique methods of manifestation on "My Town." At one moment, complex harmonies take hold, the product of an experienced vocalist; the next, back-breaking bass lines force their way through the fray, displaying Kellison's virtuosic control of the instrument; suddenly, everything yields to simple acoustic arrangements of guitar and piano, supported by the organic textures of organ, keys, and percussion--all self-taught.
Yet, often on the album, the battalions of musicians that occupy Kellison himself remit to the undeniable wealth of talent provided by dozens of other musicians invited to perform on "My Town." From longtime friends to newly acclimated partners in crime, each artist provides an indelible niche to the album--jazz pianists, blues guitarists, drummers, horn players, vocalists and MCs all participate. "My Town" almost becomes a village in itself; a work that at once resembles the community of players found across the region and defies the boundaries and biases that stigmatize the Midwest music scene.
Spiritual, sensual, contemplative, reactive, hopelessly romantic, infinitely optimistic, reverent to the past, confidant in the future, pop-influenced and just plain funky, Lucas Kellison's first foray into the world of solo efforts is, in a word, definitive. Whether it's the instrumental, bass-only bookends of the album (the original composition "LoveSpin" or the classic cover, "My Funny Valentine"), the neo-soul overtones of "Talk it Out" and "The Day," the dirty funk of "Step 3" and "Lofepadahidesi," throwback tracks like "Between the Lines" and the politically-charged "The Unknown Rebel," eclectic experiments such as the Latin-flavored "Rest," blues-supported "The Visual," acoustic jazz of "What Will Unfold," or the classic soul/hip hop hybrid of the title track, "My Town" offers the listener a unique but undeniably cohesive, distinctive experience, and a glimpse at a young and evolving new voice.
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