They’re not a jam band but they have repetition.  They’re not a punk band but they use lo-fi sound to their advantage.  They’re not a techno band but they sure do use a lot of weird effects.  They’re not a jazz band but they definitely can play it.  Kilroy is an interesting band at the very least, and they’ve released an album called “The Neon Gate” which conjures up a psychedelic landscape easily embodied by its title.  Track 1’s “The Shower” is an odd piece, demonstrating some interesting synthetic effects combined with a jammed out rock feel.  The vocals on this particular track are, like much of the album, odd.  From the upbeat to the subtle, “The Neon Gate” is laced with moments of coherence and confusion, almost as if the band is purposely screwing with the listener, testing the limits on how much absurdity they can tolerate.  Don’t get me wrong, Kilroy isn’t by any means another Mr. Bungle, but perhaps a more simplified version that has been placed in a gel-tab for easy digestion.  “The Road People” takes the rock we’ve been used to on the previous tracks and leaves it off the highway somewhere in a place right between the border of cheesy and ambient techno cities.  “The Neon Gate” is a particularly trippy song that will bring groggy LSD-inspired memories even to those who never touched an illegal drug all their lives.  For what the band has in psychedelic innovation, they lack in technical skill.  Don’t expect to hear that mind-blowing guitar solo or phenomenal held scream that you’ve been waiting for a new rock band to come out.  Also, for those of you who understand what I’m talking about, there are moments when everything is simply soaked in delay to the point of annoyance(for the non-studio-jargon-knowledgeable, delay is that echo-y effect where you hear something and it repeats over and over, but each time gets softer and softer).  Studio effects are a great thing when used in moderation but they should not be the only thing the listener is able to focus on(especially if it’s the same effect over and over).  Now dear reader, don’t let these things turn you off from checking out the album.  You owe yourself at least the time to check out an mp3 or something if you spent the time reading this review.  Bottom line:  Odd music.

Sure to please: People who hate everything mainstream and only listen to weird stuff nobody’s heard of.

Sure to disappoint: everybody else.
 

Kilroy - The Neon Gate
Rating: 
 

Tracks:  The Shower Sagitarian Song Stroll On Sansom The Phone The Letter My Father's Music Georgie's Home Guarded January Dynamite Pissing Your Life Away The Neon Gate The Dryer The Road People

Listen to Samples and Purchase This CD online

Your Turn, What do you think?

Fan Speak: