2014-02-28
Better late than never for Ken Stead's EP "Unfinished". The release party for the disk was held back in November 2013, but WYCE is seeing it in February 2014. No matter. The music is still fresh.
Ken Stead doesn't live in Grand Rapids anymore. . Let's call him "local emeritus". His old band "Ken Stead and the Messengers" performed throughout Southwest Michigan until his day job took him to Minnesota and the rest of the band stayed behind. That was in the summer of 2011. After Minnesota, Ken moved back to his original home of Alberta, Canada, so if you've been wondering what happened to him, now you know.
"Unfinished" has seven tracks, but only six songs, because "Better Days" appears twice. The sedate studio version opens the disk, and a bouncier live acoustic version closes it. The overall feel is folk, but with richer instrumentation than one expects from a singer/songwriter. What you won't find is a singer alone on stage with a guitar, or backing band heavily influenced by bluegrass. Instead you get the kind of folk that crossed over onto the progressive rock stations in the 70s. Think of Jonathan Edwards and you won't be too far off.
---Gerald Etkind
WAYNE “THE TRAIN” HANCOCK
Viper of Melody
BIRDIE BUSCH
Pattern of Saturn
Ben Harper
Diamonds on the Inside
BILL MORRISSEY
Come Running
JENNY LEWIS with THE WATSON TWINS
Rabbit Fur Coat
YUSUF ISLAAM AKA CAT STEVENS
An Other Cup
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