Ted Russell Kamp 'Get Back To The Land' Pomo

The spirit of spirited California country rock pervades this new album from multi-instrumentalist Kamp, who also happens to play bass for Shooter Jennings. There is much to admire here and Kamp can run from the country styled ballad of (Down At The) 7th Heaven which uses brass and steel to heighten the atmosphere to the more brass stylings on Aces & Eights. The opening track California Wildflower is one of the album highlights with a strong vocal and a jangeling guitar riff that is almost power-pop in tone but it rips along at a rate of knots and introduces you to the breath of Kamp's talent not only as a player but also as a songwriter and as the album's producer. As well as a core band Kamp features a host of guests on a wide range of additional instruments that give the album depth and texture. Kamp, obviously enjoys the co-writing experience as he has written all this songs with a number of writing partners. Which means that though Kamp is the central figure here and totally in control he allows the influence of others to add to the overall direction that the songs take on the album. Time Is A Joker opens what is styled Side Two on the album in a heavier mode and it features some tasty guitar licks. This contrasts with the title track which follows. It has a sense of buoyancy and theme of getting back to more solid core values in life. Right As Rain again has a impassioned vocal from Kamp with a little grit in his delivery that the song, about coming to terms with a break-up, requires. There is a level of funkiness in the music as well with brass, Hammond organ and upfront bass colouring the songs. Then there are songs like Half Hearted that are built around a solid uptempo rhythm and are steeped in pedal steel which affirm Kamp's country side. This is an album that doesn't look back, it knows where its come from but is moving forward and marks a high-point of Ted Russell Kamp's solo career to date.