When I was in high school I went to a youth group that had booked Kepano Green to play. I had never heard of them then, but there was a solid chunk of kids there who were ecstatic to see them play. All this to say, I was given a shirt that night that said "Kepano Green" on its right breast and "STAFF" on its back. Though I still have the shirt, the night wasn't particularly memorable and neither is this c.d.
This album is gentle, acoustic pop. It starts with a nice song straight from the Psalms titled, "He Restores My Soul," that is not bad in any sense, but does not demand my attention or hold my mind past its passing. Some things you'll notice right away about this duo are their tight harmonies and sugary melodies. There is no arguing the cohesiveness of their songwriting, but many of the songs fall into well played cliche. Probably the worst offender is track 2, "Fall," with a predictable, overused chord progression and lyrics like, "There's a new wind blowing open a door."
There are a few stand out tracks on ValleyDrive. The one that stands out most is "Hollywood Angel," with the strongest lyrics on the album, telling a story about a girl moving out west to pursue her dreams. This song and a few others are worthy of including on a mix to drive to, or to lounge on a couch next to a girl (or boy?) that you may or may not like...
In conclusion, they are certainly tight and experienced musicians, but a bit predictable. I will now ruin the tock system by giving it a 4 over 5 for tightness and a 2 over 5 for progressiveness. Oh, and a 5 over 5 for having a staff shirt in my closet.
Similar sounding releases
2004Brad DavisWith Both Feet
1999John MayerInside Wants Out
2003Rocky VotolatoSuicide Medicine
2003Andrew PetersonLove and Thunder
2005Martyn JosephDeep Blue
2005Jon RonigerMy World
