Review of "Party of One" from Lonesome Highway
Kevin Stonerock Party Of One
Like many of his contemporaries, it is likely that in terms of making his music Kevin Stonerock is essentially making it for a ‘party of one.’ First and foremost, it is a labour of love, but one that is there to reach out to a wider audience of like-minded listeners. As with his previous six albums, this falls neatly under the country/Americana category. It is easy to like these songs, with Stonerock’s lively vocal presence and melodic sensibility. He has assembled a set of supportive players, including Gabriel Stonerock on guitars, fiddler Shane Guse and Ed Ringwald on pedal steel. They have a driving rhythm section that includes Stonerock himself on bass, with drummer Derrick Carnes. Stonerock also adds acoustic and baritone guitar. His songs tell tales of small towns, past memories and those, seemingly large, problems that everyone of a certain age faces.
Summer Time, for instance, looks back at a time when it seemed there was a simplicity to how the pace of life was, back as one was growing up, a time when “dreams overcome reality.” Then, conversely, with Down Home Ain’t Down Home Anymore, he sees the other side of that coin as he faces the changes that are happening, with people who used to leave doors unlocked no longer having that sense of community. That may seem a slightly rose coloured view but is never-the-less a common one when looking back. This theme continues with This Old House, which reminisces on the home and house he grew up in and where his recollections of family began and remain. Equally he recognises that things are never without complications or issues, noting that “in this world there will always be trouble” in North Of November, in a time that he never remembers feeling colder.
That sense of nostalgia tinged with uncertainty pervades the themes. The title track takes the satisfaction that lies in being comfortable within one’s own skin and company, something that comes across over the album. Here he is the master of ceremonies, making the album that this time in his life demands, something that can easily be understood, even if the references largely relate to his Midwest upbringing. Neither is he unaware of times that might’ve been forgotten but were undoubtedly not without a sense of distraction and devilment. In I Heard That I Had A Good Time has him recalling that although things might not have gone to plan he was left “standing on the corner of Misery and Wine / I’m walking in the rain / I’m walking in the rain / But I guess I can’t complain ‘cause I guess I had a good time.”
Within the same mind-set is the gentle love song, All Those Years Ago, where he asks that he be forgiven for all the mistakes he made, but declaring that he won’t forget the love they shared. The final track kicks up the dust with the swing of Sidewinder, which it seems is a train, a car and a love interest, all delivered with the enthusiasm that is shared throughout the album. Kevin Stonerock is undoubtedly a talented player, singer and writer who has made an album he must feel happy with, and one that could easily please others. It is undemanding but leaves the listener feeling uplifted and knowing they have spent the time in good company.
Stephen Rapid, Lonesome Highway, March 2025
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