Kitchen Toonz

Eric Terino's Champagne and Childhood Hunger is a passionate and intriguing journey into the despondent, lonely, and dark corners of Eric's mind. Released earlier this Autumn, Champagne and Childhood Hunger  is primarily a piano, vocal, and synth album. It's beautifully written, and the stripped down aesthetic helps you focus on the stories Eric is singing — and boy can he sing. He reminds me of a classic rock vocalist in his tone. With his choice of vocal melodies and inflections, he also provides a sort of whimsical, eclectic feeling to his singing. The piano work is solid, and combined with some well utilized synths create a great background for Eric to deliver his stories through. The lyrics are deep, heartfelt, and speak to emotions many of us can relate to — primarily loneliness and loss. He's not afraid to cut deep or mince words, yet even when he's being blunt he manages to keep it sounding poetic. Take this line from Annus Horribilis: " This shit h...

Paul Pedana, an Italian born independent singer/songwriter is gearing up to release his second solo album titled A Sole Existence Reflects Eternity.  It's a dynamic album mixing alt rock, acoustic ballads, and full sounding theatrical compositions to create something that really sounds and feels like a passion project. It was written after Paul went through some personal issues, and you can tell it has a lot of soul in it. There's also a beautiful cover of the Johnny Cash version of Hurt near the end of the album. Paul's voice is filled with emotion, and his deep tone sounds excellent. I think Johnny Cash would approve of this one. I think the highlight of the album for me are Paul's vocals - he is front and center and sounds great. The album is really well produced, and mixes everything really well, even when the production gets filled with strings and guitar leads. My only gripe is that I wish the drums did a little more - they're pretty simple and feel very s...

Liverpool based act Karl McCann released his latest album  KXI  earlier this September. It doesn't disappoint, providing a mellow, introspective, lofi acoustic journey. The guitar work is a highlight here, delivering somber, reflective riffs and interesting chords. They manage to be engaging while simultaneously providing a great background atmosphere and mood. Layered on top are low, shoegazey vocals that help create a really relaxing soundscape. What I really like about this album is that because of the talented guitar playing and song writing, it never feels stale or repetitive. Whether it be an instrument drawing you in or a fun vocal hook or chorus, each song feels unique while still maintaining the overall vibe of the album. Sad, wistful, introspective. You can get lost in the music and your thoughts, and I think that's a sign of good writing. I would say the only negative to this album is the production. There are moments where it feels like the mic is almost clippi...