No matter how hard you try, it is impossible to keep up with all new releases (I read a few music magazines and blogs, receive newsletters, listen to playlists, search proactively, and follow 4,000+ Bandcamp accounts, but I probably still only see a fraction of what comes out). It would be wise to accept this as a given of these volatile and abundant times, but it remains frustrating that so much good music goes unheard. Fortunately, a missed gem surfaces every now and then, like this one.
In the depths of Bandcamp, I unearthed One Thing Left To Do—apparently released last February, but it’s about time this one got its due. This is the first solo LP by St. Petersburg, Florida-based singer-songwriter Kevin Steele, who already had a life full of rock ’n’ roll behind him (Roxx Gang, Mojo Gurus). Here, with guitar phenom Billy Summer (Luxury Mane, The New Brutarians) by his side, he tears through a versatile and rowdy mix of rock, punk, glam, punk, blues, country, R&B, and gospel, occasionally brushing against sounds that feel strangely familiar, teasing your memory without giving up their source.
From big riffs and hypnotic grooves to bruised melodies and intimate ballads, performed with garage dirt under the fingernails, the record covers plenty of ground without ever denying its backbone. The moods may change, but for 44 minutes, Steele makes clear that he’s answering to no one but himself. Or as he sings: “Nobody Tells Me When To Quit (Na Na Na Na Na Na).” And I, for one, wouldn’t have wanted to miss the trip.
One Thing Left To Do is out digitally, on CD and vinyl LP, through Steele Records / Too Cool Music Publishing.