I first wrote about Kurt Baker 11 years ago, and he has consistently remained one of my favorite artists in all of music. This is the 24th time I've reviewed him as a lead artist, and no doubt there are many more of these writeups to come. Baker has repeatedly indicated that Rock 'N' Roll Club (released this past Friday on Wicked Cool Records) would be his best album yet. He and his band mates (Wyatt Funderburk, Geoff Palmer, Kris Rodgers, and Craig Sala) have delivered in full on that promise.
Baker's 2012 album Brand New Beat was perhaps the definitive release for a whole new generation of power pop. But in refusing to ever allow himself to copy that record, Baker has soared to even greater heights in the 11 years since. Never limiting himself to just one genre of music, Baker is more broadly an ambassador for classic rock 'n' roll. He's all about big hooks and timeless melodies, but he's always open to incorporating new influences and trying different things. In comparison to his previous releases, Rock 'N' Roll Club most resembles 2015's Play It Cool. It still sounds like a Kurt Baker record, but it's full of pleasant surprises and successful new wrinkles. Yet in terms of songwriting, production, and musicianship, it surpasses Play It Cool by miles. Across 12 tracks, Baker and his songwriting collaborators embrace a host of his musical influences ranging from power pop to glam rock to disco pop to arena rock to the British Invasion to punk/new wave to modern alternative rock. Baker makes zero attempt to mask his Oasis worship on the thundering leadoff rocker "Hittin' Rock Bottom." "Love Express" is Baker's second foray into disco after last year's terrific single "Move Up," and it's an even more successful venture thanks to an irresistibly funky beat and Rodgers' keyboard heroics. "Good Feeling" sounds like a slick top 40 hit from the later '80s, and I am here for it! "Go Getter" finds Baker leaning into his well-established love for Cheap Trick. On closing track "It Was You," Baker goes for a big ballad and totally smashes it. With its grand strings and sentimental lyrics, it's the kind of song that could have been unbearably cheesy in the hands of lesser songwriters. But Baker and Funderburk crafted this one with care. Baker's vocal gives the track the tenderness and sincerity it deserves, and that melody cannot be denied. All in all, it's a genuine and beautifully-executed ballad. You could almost say this is Baker's "Wonderwall" or "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)," and the influence of the former is especially palpable.
A major strength of Rock 'N' Roll Club is that the surprising tracks aren't just different for difference's sake. They are truly some of the best songs on the album. Whenever Baker and the gang commit to trying something new, they also commit to doing it well. And they certainly have the musical chops to pull it all off. Meanwhile, the album has still got plenty to offer longtime fans. "Missed Connection," "In Love Alone," and "She Don't Wanna Be Alone" hearken back to Baker's classic power pop sound. "Anchors Up," which Baker wrote with Geoff Palmer, is a perfect pop song that's indicative of Baker's maturity as an artist. Even after having had the track on my radar for four months, every time I hear it, I'm wowed by how freaking good it is. The title track, penned by the late Kip Brown, is both a fitting tribute to a Maine rock 'n' roll icon and the beating heart of the album. If you long for the heyday of the big, hooky rock 'n' roll record, Kurt Baker is here to let you know we're still living in it.
https://kurtbaker.bandcamp.com/album/rock-n-roll-club
https://open.spotify.com/album/1W97K4N4BIuvelkNZnbowF
https://www.facebook.com/KurtBakerMusic/
https://www.instagram.com/kurtmiltonbaker
https://www.tiktok.com/@kurtmiltonbaker
https://www.facebook.com/WickedCoolRecords
https://wickedcoolrecords.bandcamp.com/
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