November 2, 2010
KC music veteran takes solo excursion
New music from John Velghe
John Velghe
‘EP’
Nope Records
Observers of music in Kansas City over the last decade or so likely have heard John Velghe’s work. Stints with the Daybirds, famous fm and most recently the Mendoza Lie have kept Velghe visible to local fans. He’s also worked as a recording engineer and film score composer. With this eponymous EP, Velghe adds solo artist to an impressive body of work.
From the jangle and crunch of the opening track, “Little Teamsters,” through what may be the most impressive Iggy Pop cover yet, the six songs here are a finely honed mix of well-crafted hooks, earnest delivery and skillful musicianship. While Velghe gets a hand from some talented friends, he does a remarkable job handling multiple instruments himself. It’s no small feat to perform guitar, drums, piano and more all by oneself, but to make the mix feel like an inspired ensemble and not just overdubbed parts is even trickier. On tracks such as the lovely, somber “Wrecking,” Velghe does just that.
Some of the more memorable performances appear in songs that feature guest artists. “Did You Fall Down?” and “Time on Their Side” would be a great pop songs, but Michael Walker’s trombone and Sam Hughes’ sax push the hook factor over the top, resulting in tracks that will stick in the listener’s consciousness. Dan Dumit’s restrained drumming adds much to the atmosphere of “Long Face” and the almost archetypal American pop/rock of “Little Teamsters.”
Most impressive, though, is Velghe’s cover of Iggy Pop’s “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” featuring backing vocals from Atlantic Fadeout’s Abigail Henderson and upright bass from Chris Wagner. Velghe’s reworking of the Iggy classic is spare, stark, and frankly, pretty damned amazing. Those who thought Jim Campilongo’s tortured take on “No Fun” earlier this year was the end-all of emotive Iggy covers may want to reconsider.
Velghe’s song is so haunting and beautiful that even if the record weren’t already filled with five other tracks that have an extraordinary amount of heart, it’d be worth picking up just for this one.
— j howell { special to ink }
Read more: http://www.inkkc.com/content/kc-music-veteran-takes-solo-excursion-0#ixzz14EzZSjj
