Kevin Stonerock

Classy and Charming Classic Country Style Americana

When Kevin Stonerock got in touch offering us his new album I'd genuinely forgot I'd reviewed his last album TWILIGHT TOWN five years ago ... and how much I'd liked it.
When the new album arrived I was a bit busy, so put it to one side for a few days; and with TWILIGHT TOWN in mind actually got a bit excited at the prospect of listening to his new songs!
Thankfully that excitement was proven correct; as PARTY OF ONE has been a fabulous soundtrack to a dip in my mood swings and managed to get me through a couple of rough days.
That's the power of music right there!
Apparently it's taken five years between albums, as he was quite specific in who would play alongside him on the album and ... as the reviews for TWILIGHT TOWN were so positive, he worried he may have 'peaked' and may not be able to replicate that success.
Fear not Kevin, fear not!
The party gets started right from the off with the jaunty Bad Memory Lane, another razor sharp observational song that conjures up memories of Jimmy Buffett or maybe even Charly Pride the way he blends the cooler side of Country Music with the edgier ends of Americana in his storytelling.
The tempo remains at 'toe tapping' and 'shuffling' level throughout Nothing Dies Slower and the fiddlicious Down Home, where Kevin looks back on his home town through rose coloured glasses, but they come off when he talks about the same town today.
In many ways PARTY OF ONE is the type of Country album that people think isn't made anymore; yet here it is in all it's contemporary glory, with only occasional nods to the past, and most importantly, without the need for hard rocking guitars and songs about Girls, Guns and Glory (and beer!) ... these songs are aimed at 'middle America' (or 'middle anywhere') and especially music fans who appreciate a well crafted song that tells a story without patronising the listener; with the quaint North of November, It Won't Be Long and/or the bewitching All Those Years Ago being great examples of his songwriting and arranging ... making that five year wait well worth it.
Stonerock really can catch you unawares with his storytelling, mostly because his catchy melodies lull you into a false sense of security, until you find yourself going 'Really? Wow!' when the stories unravel...
The clever story about a young unrequited love, Anything That Opens The Can is a prime example, just as you are nonchalantly tapping you toes he delivers these lines ...
"Oh no there she goes
Home Run  for the team
He can have her backyard tan
I’m working on a brand new plan 
It’s called Anything that opens the can
Sometimes life just falls in place
Some days you roll the dice
Sometimes you walk away, sometimes you take a stand
Anything that opens the can"

While I've enjoyed listening on cold and wet February afternoons, Stonerock has the ability to make us believe every day is a Summers' day ... especially the breezy 'lost love' of Atlanta in Reverse, the title track Party of One too and of course the mercurial Summer Time, another tune when he looks back on the hazy crazy days of youth in a romantic fashion.
There's a charm across all of these songs that make them very 'listenable' indeed, especially with the world is going to 'Hell in a Handcart' around us, which brings me to my selection of Favourite Song.
As you'd expect that hasn't been easy as I Heard I Had a Good Time, albeit the theme being nothing new, Stonerock manages to recount his story with a twinkle in his eye while accompanied by a 'solid gold Country support system' in the background.
Then, there's the final track the metaphor laden Sidewinder, a fabulous tale of a lady of a 'certain age' who still has an eye for a man; and the younger the better!
"She’s just an old sidewinder
Boys don’t let her get too close to you
She’s just an old sidewinder
Boys don’t let her get too close to you
Because when she shake that tail
Ain’t no telling what she’s gonna do!"
Then, there's This Old House which is exactly what you'd hope it would be, and I'm a sucker for stories like this about someone moving on, but feeling the need to 'sit on the porch' one last time ... reliving the halcyon days of youth and more; that will never be repeated as life shifts into another chapter.
I have a list of words that I can slip into reviews to make me seem educated and knowledgeable; but in the nicest possible way while Party Of One has its sadder moments, I can't see past using 'nice', 'balanced', 'pleasant' and 'charming' to describe what's on offer ... and I can't think of a better set of compliments.

PS The cover photo would have been more than enough to make me pick the LP/CD out of a rack in a record shop btw.

The Rocking Magpie, March 2025