Kim Lenz & Her Jaguars

Kim Lenz & the Jaguars

HMG Records, 1998

http://kimlenz.com

REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 04/23/1998

At one point in the not-too-distant past, rockabilly was the flavor of the month. Artists like Shakin' Stevens and the Stray Cats were pompadouring their way onto the radio with hits that sounded like they were carved right out of the mid-'50s. Nowadays, the Stray Cats have long left the alley, Carl Perkins has passed on, and even such stalwarts as the Paladins one hardly ever hears about anymore.

So, into the void comes Kim Lenz and her Jaguars. With their bare-bones sound and subject matter sounding like something from Happy Days, their self-titled debut album is pleasant enough to listen to, but sometimes, one wishes for a little bit of the modern splash of technology to wake up the sound.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

(Just a side note: Isn't it ironic that a band whose main goal is to promote the sound of rock's earliest days is hip to technology by having their own Web page? I found that kind of amusing.)

While Lenz might be the focus of the group because of her vocals, the fact is that this is a band in the truest sense of the word. Mike Lester gets ample opportunity to strut his stuff as lead guitarist, while Jake Erwin (on acoustic bass) and Robert Hamilton (drums) definitely capture the feel of the '50s with their pared-down sound.

Trouble is, I often wished that a little splash of digital technology had been thrown into the mix to bring the instruments' true sound out into the open. Let's hear more of the thundering plucking of the stand-up bass, let's hear both Lenz's and Lester's guitars really sing out. The disc was recorded live to a one-track recording - and while this might have been staying true to the technology available in the '50s, it wouldn't have been sacrilege to - oh, I dunno - go to an eight-track recording.

Be this as it may, Lenz proves herself to be a good songwriter and singer. Tha album's opener "Saturday Jump" is a quick reminder of how good rockabilly can be. Other tracks like "Ten Cats Down," "Up To My Old Tricks Again" and "Havin' A Ball" also stand out on the disc. Lenz and crew successfully merge tinges of country and old R&B into the mix, creating an album that often is quite pleasing to the ears musically.

But just like much of rockabilly, Kim Lenz And Her Jaguars is an album that is best broken up into several listens. I don't know what it is, but listening to the album all the way through (never mind the fact it clocks in at under 40 minutes) is rather difficult. I don't think this is the fault of Lenz; maybe it all comes down to personal preference. If you grew up with this kind of music, then I guess fourteen songs is still not enough.

Kim Lenz And Her Jaguars is a pleasant enough disc that stays true to the roots of rockabilly, and is a nice disc for the kids to pick up to hear a modern-day version of rock's birth cries.

Rating: B-

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© 1998 Christopher Thelen and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of HMG Records, and is used for informational purposes only.