Fresh out of Sheperdstown, West Virginia RoZwell Kid has arrived on the scene with his self-titled debut release. RoZwell Kid is the stage name of Jordan Hudkins, drummer for his hometown act The Demon Beat. He's taking a little break from his gig as a drummer to step out on his own with this eclectic, electro pop effort that is decidedly different from the genre of music that he's accustomed to playing, and finds a common balance between the two that shows his ability to branch out in different genres with remarkable ease.
The disc opens up with "Rocket", a fun, straightforward rocker that has elements of his band thrown in to remind audience members that he hasn't completely forgotten about his roots, and aims to get currently established Demon Beat fans onboard with his side project. "Dylan, Don't Do It" is a fast moving yet pleasant track that features dynamic melodic undertones and strong, gritty guitar riffs that get through to the listener pretty quickly upon listening. My favorite song off the album is "New Mexico", a pop leaning, electro infused number that immediately opens up the realm of possibilities with a flurry of melodic guitar riffs and Jordan's vocals blending in superbly with the flurry of instrumentation laid out front, an eye opening and incredible track all around. "'93 Connie & Ronnie" is another fun, straightforward rocker that doesn't feel the need to do too much, and instead just relies on melodic guitar riffs and just a hint of electro infused matter that allows the song to pop and sizzle right out of the gate.
We head into the disc's second half with 'Ace Ventura, Pt. 3", a loud, intense rocker that picks up the pace from the previous tracks and gives the listener a little added extra jolt when listening to the songs that gives them a little variety, which seems to be the spice of life on this album! "Born 2 Drum" is a track that is a great opportunity for Jordan to showcase his talents as a more than capable drummer, and adds in a more explosive electro charge to further highlight his talents on a diverse and surprising tune. The album begins to draw to a close with "Hawaiian Shirt", a fast paced, melody filled delight that doesn't cease to amaze with its strong musical blueprint showed off in pristine fashion and gives the listener an idea of how he makes these songs in the first place. "Empty Glass" is a comprehensive, 11 minute opus that is a wonderful way to close out the album and this song is a condensed synopsis of all the musical wonders that we've encountered thus far and Jordan helps translate those experiences for us in musical terms that we can clearly comprehend. I saw his band The Demon Beat play at O'Brien's in Allston, MA a few months back and I was totally floored not only with his musical talents, but with his outgoing personality that he expressed on stage. As I recall, I remember him wearing a hat with his name printed on the hat and a green alien representing the letter 'O' in his name. An outrageous personality with an incredible knack for playing music inside and out.
Overall, a surprising and eclectic effort from RoZwell Kid, which is a platform for Jordan to express his talents beyond his current status as a drummer and shows that he's a supremely skilled musician who can juggle multiple tasks when thrown his way!
Album Score: 3.5/5
Track Listing:
- Rocket
- Dylan, Don't Do It
- New Mexico
- My Saturn
- '93 Connie & Ronnie
- Ace Ventura Pt. 3
- Born 2 Drum
- Sweets
- Hawaiian Shirt
- Empty Glass
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