[rating=7.00]
Bob Schneider’s never been a fan of the tried and true. The Texas songwriter’s music has often defied convention and expanded the parameters as far as what’s expected from the typical singer/songwriter. Consequently, his latest album isn’t an album in the strictest sense but more a series of EPs released at different intervals over the past year, three works collectively titled The King Kong Suite. Each disc contains five songs that share the same mood and musicality, and even now that they’re packaged together, the individual EPs sound quite distinctive from one another, and yet still make for a fully formed work.
That said, Volume. III — the most recent individual effort in the series — is decidedly different from its predecessors. Where Volume I was mellow and melodic and Volume II upped the ante with more of a modern rock sound, Volume III adds an ample does of hip hop and reggae to the musical mix, drastically diverging from the usual tomes one might expect from a denizen of the Austin area. It’s so different, in fact, that fans of his earlier efforts – including the two EPs that preceded it — will likely have a difficult time identifying it with the same artist. The percolating rhythms of “The Unknown” and “Ventilation” sound like something that might have prompted a “ya, mon” from Bob Marley and the Wailers, while the shuffling rhythm of “Black Mountain” sounds like a blues groove with more restraint than resolve. It takes more than one listen to allow these tracks to fully sink in, but the indulgence is worth the effort. Volume III provides a spirited set of songs, one that sounds both accessible and inspired.
Still, there are those who might find a song like “Ready Let’s Roll,” with its decidedly urban delivery, a bit off putting. No matter; given the appealing melodies that grace the first two instalments in the King Kong series — and the fact that all three EPs are now bound together as one — there’s enough variety in the mix to make King Kong appear a little less menacing than it might have otherwise appear.
