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Hillbilly Hippie Music Review

APPY Awards 2021

Master Musician 2021

APPY Awards 2022

KOGA: Robert G Alley Award 2022

Fountain Square Clock Adjusted for Fall Time

1…2…3…

HOLY HARMONICA.

Okay, I feel better now.

Ten seconds into listening to Kevin Dalton & the Tuesday Blooms’ recent release, Paper Airplanes, I knew I was going to totally dig this record. Let’s just say the music instantly dug deep in my brain and planted the roots of solid tunes that won’t leave my head. The eclectic, folky sound I discovered from Kevin and his band is as fresh as flowers in the spring. Love it.

BluepsychodelicidalHippieGrass. What a word, not to mention quite the concept, but it’s the way Kevin Dalton and his band sum up their sound—and it’s perfect. While listening to the record, I heard tastes of blues, bluegrass, rock, country, Americana, soul, and several other “genres” all mixed together in their delicious melting pot of a sound. Hailing from the beautiful state of Kentucky, these guys are certainly putting themselves on the musical map all around.

The first track off the record, “The Devil in the Details” is one of my favorites. I positively love the bluesy, rock feel to it. It has a restless feel to it, as if the person singing is yearning to ramble and be free from the shackles of everyday life, aka the “devil” in the details. The whole notion of the song is in the desire to live a little before we die, which is an idea we can all relate to. It’s totes a jam and spoke to the gypsy inside of me.

When an artist can paint a vivid picture using only their words, it’s true art. “Paper Airplanes” is the title track and the lyrical imagery paints a beautiful, yet haunting picture. The “speaker” in the song is addressing his lady and bemoaning the downfall of their relationship and the way Kevin Dalton describes the situation made me feel as if I was a fly on the wall watching the love unravel. “So I fold up my feelings, and try to tuck away this hell, turned all my thoughts into paper airplanes, and wait for the breeze so I can set sail…” Shooowee…we’ve all been there and felt that. I know I sure have…wouldn’t it be nice if we could just fold up those feelings and—POOF—they’re gone with the wind?

One of the qualities I adore about this record is the ample (and varied) amount of instruments used to create the sound. “Beneath a Jealous Moon” begins with a melancholy piano solo that is heightened by the addition of other stirring instrumentals to create the evocative effect of the song. It’s a love song, but almost a worrisome one—he’s in love, yet afraid she will run away like other girls. That’s a scary feeling to feel when you’re in love, and an outcome we all watt to ward off even if we know how it ultimately ends. To me, that’s where the reference of the jealous moon comes in—knowing it might not always be your arms your lover is sleeping peacefully in. Man, that’s heavy.

Continuing the theme of love—albeit love gone wrong—is “Broken Records” and the song is pure evidence of the wordsmith Kevin is. He likens broken records to the semblance of broken love. “Here’s your god damn love song, I hope you find the harmony when it comes.” Such a snarky way to wish someone well but I LOVE it. Something about this song makes me want to lean up against a wall, light a cigarette, cross my arms across my chest and just sassily snap and sway along. It’s just that good. Broken records aremost definitely my favorite tunes.

Speaking of favorite tunes, perhaps my favorite off the album is “Bring the Dog.” It’s a lighthearted love song where he focuses on his ability to rhyme and put cliches to rhyme, but I just adore it. The music is to die for, and the dog barking at the end? Pawsome. But I digress…

I could ramble on all day about the quality of work I found when I dove into the work of Kevin Dalton and the Tuesday Blooms. From beginning to end, not a single track on this record sounds the same. Sure, there are similar sounds and subject matter, but each song has its own eccentric, funky folk vibe to it and I just dig it. I’m a big fan of artists who make records, from the single worthy tracks to the deep cuts, and this record is killer all over. I love an artist that has an eclectic, her recognizable sound and Kevin Dalton possesses just that, along with an immense talent and musicality that knows no genre bounds. As he says in his Facebook bio: “Let the freedom blend. Let the music begin.” He took all the freedom he possessed and blended it into some quality tunes to bless our ears with. Y’all give it a listen and let me know what you think.

See y’all down the road…