Buy My Soul Back
VizzTone
Kevin Selfe has followed up his highly successful album Long Walk Home with a recording just as strong if not more so. He showcases his knack for writing clever and catchy songs, sensational and tasty guitar work and his strong vocals to help him deliver the best package of music possible.
Buy My Soul Back finds Selfe on a new label, VizzTone, and he’s stepping right back in pace where he left off. It’s all original material with the exception of a very worthy cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire.” Kevin takes that song and completely makes it his own. Are we sure that Bruce didn’t write this for Kevin? And you just know that these new songs will become classic Kevin Selfe songs that we’ll be calling for at his shows.
You know that a song really works to perfection that as soon as hear the chords the lyrics come immediately to mind. They fit naturally and that is something that Kevin Selfe is an undisputed master at accomplishing. The guitar lines opening the disc on “Picking Empty Pockets” does exactly that. That guitar pattern burns itself into your brain and you instantly start singing the lyrics. That same thing happens over and over again throughout the album. I listen to the chords of numbers like “Digging My Own Grave,” “All Partied Out” and “Keep Pushing Or Die Trying” and the words also just start flowing right out of my own mouth.
And another thing about Kevin, he has a wealth of friends that he can call upon at any time and they’ll step up for him. They aren’t a bunch of slouches either. These guys are amonst the best in the business in the Northwest and anywhere else for that matter. It’s like a cast of who’s who in Portland when you can bring in Lisa Mann, Mitch Kashmar, Peter Moss, Joe McCarthy, Chris Mercer, Brad Ulrich, Steve Kerin and Don Shultz. Or for that matter having Jimi Bott and Allen Markel as your regular unit. Then throw in nationally recognized artists from outside the Northwest such as Willie J Campbell on bass, Gene Taylor on piano, James Pace on organ and even Sugaray Rayford taking the lead vocals on one song (“Bluesman Without The Blues”).
Kevin’s songwriting strikes it rich not only with his lyrics, but the guitar playing also is above expectation, which says a lot as he is already considered one of the best players in the city. His acoustic work for example on his autobiographical “Virginia Farm” is superb. But then again, so is everything about this amazing release.
Kevin Selfe has delivered another sensational recording. Buy My Soul Back is sure to be amongst the best of list for many people at the end of the year. And it is deserving of such honors!
Total Time: 58:17
Picking Empty Pockets / Fixed It Til It’s Broke / Buy My Soul Back / Digging My Own Grave / All Partied Out / Keep Pushing Or Die Trying / Bluesman Without The Blues / I’m On Fire / Don’t Tear Me Down / Double Dipping / Virginia Farm / Pig Pickin’ / Staring Up At The Bottom