Lost Songs
Self-Released, 2021
8/10
A Boston singer-songwriter with a penchant for the type of music that would be appropriate at a campfire, Terry Kitchen found himself with an abundance of time after a cancelled tour last year, and used that opportunity to rework these songs that never quite found a place on his many projects.
Kitchen starts the listen with warm acoustic guitar and tambourine complementing his vivid storytelling and expressive vocals on “Opposite Day”, and this folk-friendly formula continues to the emotive pedal steel of the elegant “Here’s To Us”, as well as the breezy melodies of “Nickel Bag”.
The middle of the listen offers the upbeat and rhythmic “Walk Around The Block”, that benefits from dreamy backing vocals, while “The Way Of The World” contains much beauty in its Americana climate that welcomes Deede Bergeron’s pipes. “Brand New Laces (Same Old Shoes)” is particularly noteworthy with its brass opening and Rebecca Lynch’s pretty vocals, as strategic piano adds much to the soulful climate that’s both jazz and blues heavy.
Deeper yet, “Don’t Kick The Cat” is a bouncy 2 minutes of humorous wordplay that’s perfect for the kid in all of us, and “No Heroic Measures” exits the listen with some of Kitchen’s best singing as intricate guitar work flows with much sophistication and timelessness.
A veteran musician who has been performing in the New England area since the ‘90s, Kitchen has recently made his way up the charts and it’s easy to see why; his humble, forthright storytelling and intimate yet diverse body of work places him firmly in a category of folk artists we should all be more familiar with.
Travels well with: Jesse Brewster- The Lonely Pines; Domenic Cicala- Come On Over