Kelowna – Better Day EP
Having only formed towards the end of 2023, Scottish rock band Kelowna are veritable newbies to the rock landscape (at least collectively; they have quite the individual CVs of gigs, previous bands and music projects).
But on debut 5 Track EP Better Day the quintet of Davy Wilson (lead vocals, songwriter), Paul Mooney (guitars), Ian Davy (keys, synths, vocals), Simon Amos (bass, vocals) and Rory McEwan (drums) are already teaching older rock dogs new, fresher sounding tricks, with influences from well outside the usual suspects.
The songs on the EP aren’t cut from any of the usual cookie cutter moulds or the tried, tested and at times tired blues rock or classic rock formulas; no sir, here Kelowna have taken a more contemporary route, one that emphasises soul as much as rock, with a subtle, bluesy, undercurrent.
Opener 'Envy,' a slow burn, spacious mid-tempo, carries a nice balance of piano and guitar line play in support of Davy Wilson’s soul-tenor vocal (at times not dissimilar to Hootie & The Blowfish singer Darius Rucker; no bad comparison).
The song also sports a tastesful, melodic solo from Paul Mooney, which plays in sympathy to the song's soul-rock melancholy and striving for a better life lyricism.
Following number 'The Wordsmith' is similarly structured to the opener, but with a funkier vibe built off of Simon Amos' nifty bass line, which threads through Paul Mooney's choppy and chunky chords.
It's another strong offering.
The more up-tempo, contemporary Americana influenced 'Hungry Enemy' has a lighter, radio friendly air about it (and a touch of Lindsey Buckingham) yet still carries purposeful weight and a strong beat, along with some nice, Bruce Hornsby-esque piano interjections from Ian Davy.
'Better Day,' the pick of an impressive bunch, is a moodier, soul-rock-blues excursion that nods to a heavier Hootie & The Blowfish, bolstered by a lyric that reflects the strife of the blue collar worker in difficult times ("gotta get my head down, working for the man and I ain’t got a penny… blisters on my hand and my head’s feeling heavy").
Closing number, 'Rising Of The Wolf,' which is more about the groove created than the rhythm, has an alt-Americana-blues vibe running through its contemporary styled arrangement.
The "woo-ooh-ooh" vocal melody line that doubles as a subtle and understated call of the wolf before the "howling at the moon" tag line is a particularly nice, and clever, touch.
It's very early days for Kelowna and there are absolutely no guarantees, even for bands with clear songwriting and performance talent.
But with the five songs that make up their debut EP they have already separated themselves from much of the same-sounding pack.
The hope, then, would be that they can now build from a Better Day to a successful tomorrow, and beyond.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Better Day is available now on all digital/ streaming platforms.
But on debut 5 Track EP Better Day the quintet of Davy Wilson (lead vocals, songwriter), Paul Mooney (guitars), Ian Davy (keys, synths, vocals), Simon Amos (bass, vocals) and Rory McEwan (drums) are already teaching older rock dogs new, fresher sounding tricks, with influences from well outside the usual suspects.
The songs on the EP aren’t cut from any of the usual cookie cutter moulds or the tried, tested and at times tired blues rock or classic rock formulas; no sir, here Kelowna have taken a more contemporary route, one that emphasises soul as much as rock, with a subtle, bluesy, undercurrent.
Opener 'Envy,' a slow burn, spacious mid-tempo, carries a nice balance of piano and guitar line play in support of Davy Wilson’s soul-tenor vocal (at times not dissimilar to Hootie & The Blowfish singer Darius Rucker; no bad comparison).
The song also sports a tastesful, melodic solo from Paul Mooney, which plays in sympathy to the song's soul-rock melancholy and striving for a better life lyricism.
Following number 'The Wordsmith' is similarly structured to the opener, but with a funkier vibe built off of Simon Amos' nifty bass line, which threads through Paul Mooney's choppy and chunky chords.
It's another strong offering.
The more up-tempo, contemporary Americana influenced 'Hungry Enemy' has a lighter, radio friendly air about it (and a touch of Lindsey Buckingham) yet still carries purposeful weight and a strong beat, along with some nice, Bruce Hornsby-esque piano interjections from Ian Davy.
'Better Day,' the pick of an impressive bunch, is a moodier, soul-rock-blues excursion that nods to a heavier Hootie & The Blowfish, bolstered by a lyric that reflects the strife of the blue collar worker in difficult times ("gotta get my head down, working for the man and I ain’t got a penny… blisters on my hand and my head’s feeling heavy").
Closing number, 'Rising Of The Wolf,' which is more about the groove created than the rhythm, has an alt-Americana-blues vibe running through its contemporary styled arrangement.
The "woo-ooh-ooh" vocal melody line that doubles as a subtle and understated call of the wolf before the "howling at the moon" tag line is a particularly nice, and clever, touch.
It's very early days for Kelowna and there are absolutely no guarantees, even for bands with clear songwriting and performance talent.
But with the five songs that make up their debut EP they have already separated themselves from much of the same-sounding pack.
The hope, then, would be that they can now build from a Better Day to a successful tomorrow, and beyond.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Better Day is available now on all digital/ streaming platforms.