KERVIN
Reviewed: "I Think I See Evil" (CD)
Website: www.whoiskervin.com
The last book I just read was Michael Moore, ‘Dude, Where’s My County?’ therefore making it slightly ironic that one of the latest bands who sent in a demo was Kervin. You can’t do a review of this band without involving politics in some way - the following is a quote from the band’s own website:
“Given the disarray that our political and social systems are in, Kervin is determined that their music do more than simply entertain. Awareness needs to raised, issues need to be addressed, and perhaps most importantly, the intelligence quotient of our popular culture needs to pull out from the swan dive it has been on for the last ten years.
Kervin hope to be the trailblazers down a path where substance outweighs distraction, intelligent thought and inquiry are the norm, and rock music is an outlet for those with something new and inspirational to say.”
Very true, especially the bit about the “swan dive”. It is true that since September 11th, the US has become even more insular than before. However, this is not the fault of its people but that of the media and how they influence popular opinion by convincing them of a ‘terrorist threat’ and how it will destroy the ‘American Way Of Life.’ However, we people who live in Europe have lived with a ‘terrorist threat’ for years and have learned to live with it, the most notable being the attacks by the IRA on the UK mainland in the late 80’s and early 90’s and then almost constant infighting by the Loyalists and IRA in Northern Ireland. However, society did not tear itself apart and did not need a government to start bundling its citizens in cotton wool and playing on the ‘terrorist threat’ to gain a re-election to further its own dubious business interests…
Complicated, isn’t it? Well, welcome to politics – the art of being able to bullshit convincingly and gain support, before being able to do a complete u-turn and deny that you had ever been born.
People of America should stand by this band and bands like them where “substance outweighs distraction [and] intelligent thought and inquiry are the norm.” This then becomes the opposite of politics – the art of putting across a clear message.
This then brings me on to the band’s lyrics. Kervin are direct in what they have to say, preferring not to beat about the bush when they have a Bush to beat. In songs like The Surgeon, Kervin speak of the twisting of information (remember the ‘terrorist threat’?), ‘The Surgeon’ being the news networks who twist or obscure the facts before relaying them to the public, who then believe what the news tells them as it must be true. Kervin’s other songs deal with all aspects of US corruption both overseas and at home. The songs are inspirational, both with their lyrics and the music that is their underpinning – the beats will get inside your head and range from staccato bass riffs to jagged but melodic guitar runs, which shows a grounding in Funk, Indian, Ska and anything else you can care to mention. This is not just some band following in the footsteps of Rage Against The Machine. This is a band that’s determined to make a point and include a pile of diverse musical influences – they make a point and they do it in style. Instead of sounding like they are simply complaining about the way in which things are, they give a valid argument that people can agree with and choose to follow if they so wish. This reviewer hopes they will.
If this is what New York can produce musically, there is obviously a hotbed of talent waiting to come back out from the woodwork. Kervin will hopefully be the first of many. The support is there for this band. Now they need to expand and be heard in other countries. Go get yourself a copy of ‘I think I See Evil’ immediately.
The Best Bit: Listening and knowing there's hope for the US!
The Worst Bit: Cant think of one!
Reviewed by JT
