Southern Dissonance
Self-Released, 2022
9/10
A singer-songwriter based in New Orleans, Kevin The Persian knows his way around a rock song you won’t soon forget, and here we’re treated to 9 that constantly change direction in a ‘90s sort of way.
“Coping Mechanisms” opens the listen with a loud and thundering blast of dense rock that’s a bit grungey, kind of alt-rock and is packed with driving melodies, and “What You Deserve” follows with an acoustic angle that’s still quite firm but also very tuneful.
A record where no two tracks run the same course, “Persian Delta Blues” indeed brings nods to the blues with its guitars amid the thumping rhythm section, while “Rock Is Dead” hints at metal in its thick moments of drumming acrobatics, swirling guitar solos and more forceful singing.
The title track arrives near the end, and brings some southern rock ideas to the hard rock formula, and “Flameleaf” exits the listen with a meticulousness and a bit of a dreamy appeal in the nostalgic climate.
If this were 1994, it wouldn’t surprise us if Kevin The Persian were on the Sub Pop label, and in 2022 it’s a breath of fresh air when so much music is computer generated, similar and uninspired. Certainly one hell of a debut, we should all be keeping an eye on Kevin The Persian’s next move.
Travels well with: Purgatory Line- Purgatory Line; Castle Black- Get Up, Dancer