David Kilgour & Heavy Eights
Even after decades of making music, New Zealand's David Kilgour has yet to receive his due props. Despite a semivaried resumé with indie bands the Clean, the Great Unwashed, and Stephen, Kilgour has remained largely underground--his records only making the rounds on college radio and in the occasional zine review. Part of the problem is that his post-Clean output has been largely hit or miss. Sweet pop anthems, for the most part, have been marred by marginal singer-songwriterdom and uninspired lyrics. This is a much-needed addition to Kilgour's catalog, a welcome return to his roots. Songs like "Brown Man" and "Seemingly Stranded" are innocent folk-pop acoustic guitar ditties, while tracks like "Locked in Blue" and "Maybe" reveal the garage-rock influences that made the Clean famous (well, semifamous).--Jason Verlinde