Alex Kilroy – Break My Chains
PARC Records
12 songs – 48 minutes
Guitarist and singer/songwriter Alex Kilroy has an interesting backstory. Born and raised in Transylvania, Romania, Kilroy initially focused on classical piano before, at the age of 14, discovering Stevie Ray Vaughan and swapping his piano for a guitar. After studying at Berklee on a scholarship, he eventually settled in Florida and Break My Chains is his debut release.
The black and white photo on the cover of Break My Chains depicts Kilroy, sitting on a dirt road in a desert, leaning against a vintage Pontiac, holding a Strat and wearing a white shirt, waistcoat and ornate cowboy boots. In the background, cactus stand tall in front of arid, rocky outcrops. It’s a distilled image of the mythological American dream and – like so many immigrants or visitors to this magnificent country – it is evident that he has bought into that dream and that mythology.
Kilroy is a gifted musician, whether wailing on guitar or singing in an unaffected, countertenor voice that sounds a little like a young Robben Ford at times. He also wrote or co-wrote 11 of the songs on Break My Chains, with the sole cover being the Allman Brothers’ “Midnight Rider.” Despite the SRV influence, however, this album falls very much into the blues-rock or even pop-rock (on tracks like “All That Matters”) category. Indeed, the aforementioned Mr Ford seems to be a more obvious primary influence than SRV, given the number of different musical styles on display. Tracks like the funky “Let Me Play The Blues For Me” are proof that Kilroy can be a fine blues player when he shows a little restraint. On the other hand, “Kilroy’s Ballad” starts like half-sibling to Michael Schenker’s “Courvoisier Concerto” before throwing in a hint of Ritchie Blackmore’s classical influences.
That’s not to say that Break My Chains is a bad album. Far from it. It’s highly enjoyable and very impressive, with great performances and an excellent sound, captured by Tres Sasser, Joe Costa and Ted Jenson and Studio Live USA, with mastering at Sterling Sound. It’s simply surprising how many genres of music Kilroy essays. His musical vision is as vast as the American wilderness he captures in the album cover photo. The opening track, “Standing Tall” is a funky soul-blues track while the title track sounds like the handsome offspring of a marriage between The Doors and The Doobie Brothers, if officiated by Alan Parsons. The closing “It’s Hard To Let You Go” is a glorious slice of classically-inspired pop-rock that Meatloaf would have loved to record. The bar-room boogie of “Let The Good Times Roll” has a guest appearance from country legend, Vince Gill, while “Answer USA” is blues-based classic rock with harmony vocals and a catchy chorus that REO Speedwagon would appreciate. “Angel” is pure mid-70s pop-rock.
Kilroy is obviously the star of the show, excelling on both guitar and vocals but also writing some fine songs. He receives top drawer support from a backing band comprising Berian Henri on bass and backing vocals, Jarquis Dolphus on drums and backing vocals and Leonard Douglas Jackson Jr on piano, organ, synth and backing vocals.
The more one listens to Break My Chains, the more there is to uncover and to enjoy. This album is the perfect accompaniment for a long road trip across the States. Check it out.
