The Kieran Ridge Band

"The self-titled debut album of The Kieran Ridge Band, is a jewel among "roots rock" albums. This Boston band, build around one of today’s most promising new singer-songwriter talents, combines the best of blues, country and classic rock, in a set of perfect songs. Kieran Ridge's own performance is a triumph that should not be underestimated. Ridge has a voice somewhere between that of Bob Dylan and John Prine, which suits his songs perfectly: great voice, outstanding material, the way it should be! The closing song, "Close Your Eyes" for example, is without a doubt one of the most beautiful Americana songs we have heard this year. The first song, "Lonesome Traveler", is every bit as good. The restlessness of the protagonist drips from the lyrics. In between, Kieran Ridge reveals his songwriter soul another ten times. Lyrics about innocence and experience, good times and hard times, life on the road, and love, are performed in such a soulful manner, that we highly recommend this album. This is going to be a big one, just watch..."
-Benny Metten - control.alt.country (Belgium)

Hellfire! This is a bloody good album…Twelve songs featuring some great lyrics, impressive arrangements and top notch musicians. Alongside Kieran, we get a total of seven guys and gals who, combined, give this album a polished and total professional feel. Songs such as Labourer's Blues, Lonesome Traveller, Gray Skies & Cold Rain, Close Your Eyes and Angel Wings are really cracking tunes. The artwork and presentation of the booklet is all top quality as well! Whilst the style is mainly country/rock, there is quite a lot of diversity, ending with a superb range of songs - The A-Z Music Review (UK)

Excuse me while I wax ecstatic, but a gem like this in my mailbox is reason indeed. Jam-packed with fresh talent, insightful lyrics, and cohesively polished arrangements, The Kieran Ridge Band is nothing short of spectacular. This roots rock band is refreshing even while intensely reminiscent of Dylan at his best, from every period. It would be impossible to review the CD without mentioning Dylan, but Ridge veers from “Freewheeling” to “Blood on the Tracks” in milliseconds, each time blowing the lid off your expectations, an honorable act of homage rather than imitation.

A number of the songs tell tales of the road, and Jack Kerouac himself could not improve on them. “Already Gone” blows down Route 40 so true, your hair is blowing in the breeze, and the instrumentation of “The Sound of my Heart Breaking” is astute enough to make you carsick, with Chris Coughlin’s organ hypnotically leading you like the white lines on the highway. The time changes of “Gray Skies and Cold Rain” flawlessly augment the lonely travelin’ feel of the whole album. Ridge’s raspy voice was created to sing the bittersweet lyrics of the pearl that is “Just Like December," and your body aches with road-weariness and sorrow for love’s disappointments.

“Laborer’s Blues” stands alone with its powerful portrayal of the road-worker’s misery, a line of work that Ridge apparently is well-acquainted with, working as a laborer on Boston’s “Big Dig” highway renovation project to pay recording costs. He scores on both counts, capturing the trap of hard times and brutal toil with his perfect pitch.

But the album’s blindingly flawless moments are found in the ballads with Emily Dahmen, a pairing that, forgive me, ranks with Dylan and Emmylou Harris’ own triumphs. The match is too similar not to bring up, but again, their power lies in their surprising ability to transcend the comparison, indeed, to soar past. Ridge’s well-crafted songs are instruments of magnificence displayed in the sublime harmonies of this duo, who know enough to keep it simple. This approach suits romantic offerings like “Before Your Eyes” to perfection. The lovely flutter of Hide Kawatsura’s mandolin introduces the soothing lullaby, “Close Your Eyes," and by the time you reach this last song, you are ready to go, satiated and smiling. The last sound you’ll hear will be your own gentle burp of deep contentment, and you’ll go out happy. Be sure to wake me up for the next trip.
www.Indie-Music.com - Kevan Breitinger

"If Bob Dylan and Steve Earle had a child this is what he would sound like. Kieran Ridge veers back and forth between one or the other with Earle heard strongest. The band also favors that skiffly, loose feel on the arrangements and instrumentation that Bob and Steve are keen proponents of. That having been said, know that while these songs pay homage, they very definitely stand on their own. Ridge and the band sound equally comfortable on ballads as they do letting it out and they've avoided the overproduction that plagues so many first releases. More pith to the lyrics than you might expect as these are mostly love songs. But love songs about love under duress with an edgy sense of unease running through them like some dark vein. "Just Like December" is a good example, walking the line between despair and hope that's familiar to anyone who's ever struggled with love. And on "Close Your Eyes", the CD's last cut, you feel both the release and relief that falling into sleep brings but also the vague sense of nameless dread that keeps you tossing and turning. Overall a helluva debut of well crafted songs played by a band that obviously paid attention in roots rock class. If you take your love songs with a shot of bitters there ain't hardly nothing not to like about this music."
-James McSweeney - Flyin' Shoes Review

"This CD arrived out of the blue, and is often the case, an absolute peach…These are roots songs, written and performed the way they should be. Every song tells a story, and every story is worth listening to. There are also enough diffuse influences to lift this out of being just another good CD, into the realms of a must have. Some country, some blues, some classic rock. Lovely…The highlight is undoubtedly, "Angels Wings" which benefits from the sublime harmonies of guest, Emily Dahmen, to great effect. Remember the name, because Kieran Ridge and band should be around for the long haul." - Zeitgeist Magazine (UK)

"A record full of the grime of the road, of flannel shirts stiff with wear and the need for a good hot bath and a square meal at a broken-down roadside diner. A voice full of road gravel straining for that extra mile from Jack Kerouac to Bob Dylan across America by boxcar, “Running Free” is this to the nth degree, lyrics: ‘they’ll never stop us from running free’, to the rolling thunder musical accompaniment. It’s not all portentous though - he is capable of tenderness and soul, “Before Your Eyes” is a song that...could inhabit a wry romantic comedy. “Lonesome Traveler” could be Jo Strummer fronting a skiffle band and most people would pay to see that. KR himself looks like a Lloyd Cole/Chris Isaak amalgam; it is a surprise to hear these songs of struggle and solidarity sung in a world-weary voice coming from such as fresh face. The addition of Emily Dahmen’s harmony vocals on “Angels Wings” brings an extra dimension to the song; her sweetness in contrast to KR’s gruffness brings a Lee Hazelwood element to the proceedings.. Like a great bar band playing their hearts out in a dive while you sit and contemplate all your failings, if you listen you’ll make connections."
- Americana UK

"I finally got a chance to preview your new CD. This is one of those pleasant surprises! I review so much music each week that it all sort of runs together. Your CD is a refreshing change from the norm; lyrically interesting, vocally unique, and well produced. I'm very excited to get this started on the KEOS Rotation."
-John Roths
Music Director
Keos 89.1 FM
- KEOS 89.1 FM (Texas)

The Kieran Ridge Band is –in my opinion- one of the most underestimated Americana/roots rock bands playing today. But what about that label? Americana/roots rock? It doesn’t quite do The Kieran Ridge Band justice since their abilities go far beyond the limits of this genre. Therefore, it brings us great pleasure that The Kieran Ridge Band has finally released their new album entitled “Nothing Left to Lose”.
The Boston based band is formed around one of the best up and coming singer-songwriter talents of this time. The Kieran Ridge Band draws upon the best elements of blues, country and classic rock. The result is a set of eleven perfect songs. These songs reveal the intriguing image that Kieran Ridge portrays of himself on this successor to their self-titled 2003 debut CD.
Only one listening of this self-produced and self-written CD was enough to appreciate that this is a jewel of a roots album. Two of the eleven songs, “Think About It” and “Amadine” are written by Chris Coughlin, the other nine were written by Kieran Ridge. The majority are mid and up-tempo roots rock and roll, with Chris Coughlin (keyboard and vocals), Carlos Gonzalez (guitar), V (bass) and John Hannaford (drums). Kieran Ridge expresses himself best with his wonderful, hoarse voice – a voice which reminds the listener of Bob Dylan, if only for a brief moment- a voice that can handle a song with ease.
This album contains first-rate material and, when asked which songs would really make it on the radio, I would choose the Americana ballads such as “Think About It, “The Drifter” and “Alone”. Apart from these top notch Americana ballads, all eleven songs form a perfect album. Songs of innocence and experience, good times and hard times, life on-the-road and love are performed with faith, love, passion, desperation and soul. Have a listen to the rock songs, “Nothing Left To Lose” and “Blinded By The Sight Of You”, the country orientated “When You’re Gone” and “Life Is Hard and Love’s Unfair,” as well as the bluesy “Too Far Away” and “Amadine” and you too will take off your hat to their wide ranging mastery of their music. “Nothing Left To Lose”, is –for now- the best song The Kieran Ridge Band ever made. All in all, superb roots rock and roll album.
-Freddy Celis
www.Rootstime.be


- Rootstime

"oh my was I ever impressed. Rock solid from first note to last, a true winner, as good as anything on the market. Very inspiring, drew me in with your style and grace with words...I receive some of the best independent music on the face of the earth and you guys can hold your own in every respect."
-Eddie Russell
Outlaw For Peace Radio Show
Columbus, Texas - Outlaw For Peace Radio Show

Nothing Left to Lose, the lead-off title track from the Kieran Ridge Band's sophomore effort, wrestles you into submission early, and never relents, in an ambitious mix of classic era Springsteen-style rockers, and their own blend of country, blues and folk.

On the albums handful of rockers such as the title track, "Already Gone" and "Blinded By the Sight of You", I did find it hard to avoid the Springsteen comparison, but not in the typical fashion. Lead vocalist and chief songwriter Kieran Ridge, whose voice resembles more of a gruff Steve Earle than the Boss, has his own take on desperate characters falling between the cracks, and clearly demonstrates a real passion for his tales of outsiders, as well as the bar shakin' good times. However, like Springsteen, Ridge's songs demand a band that can keep up with a series of consecutive melodic hooks and rhythmic avalanches, that attempt to raise the stakes, whether the song is going for broke, or giving us a second to catch our breath. Fortunately, the players are up to task, most notably keyboardist/vocalist Chris Coughlin (who also contributes two of his songs), who delivers more than a few highlights along the way.

The rest of the CD finds the band dropping in mandolin, banjo, accordion, fiddle and harmonica, in place of, or in combination with the more common bass, drums and guitar set-up. Additionally, Ridge subtlety incorporates different song styles into his writing, and combined with the bands multi-instrumentalists, the results are rewarding. Where a song like "Life Is Hard & Love's Unfair" could be done as a straight-ahead folk ballad, the Kieran Ridge Band gives it a fresh spin. Similarly, I could hear the chords and melody of "Think About It" being covered by a soulful R&B singer, but it's rootsy banjo-aided treatment on Nothing Left to Lose gives you something entirely different.

The first impression I had of Nothing Left to Lose was that I would be interested in seeing this band live - the dynamics, the energy, and the type of songs you can sing along to by the second chorus. The second reaction was that I would be interested in hearing this band in a more sympathetic studio environment. The sound quality isn't poor, but the material and performances would be further enhanced by the warmth and clarity of a production up-grade. Similarly, the material is strong, but a little tightening up of the song structure could make these songs that much sharper and more effective.
-Kevin Zarnett
www.musesmuse.com

- Kevin Zarnett