Review Summary: A genuinely spirited, bona-fide rock-and-roll album from the Candlebox frontman and a slew of collaborating musicians.
As evidenced by over five million records sold as
Candlebox's frontman in the 1990s, Kevin Martin has developed an affinity for writing hook-laden rock-and-roll. After temporarily disbanding in 1999 due to multiple line-up changes and the ever-popular explanation of "record label politics," Candlebox's hiatus allowed Martin to pursue other endeavors. Beginning in 2001 and ultimately ending in a Summer 2003 release, Martin began writing and collaborating with multiple artists, from
Hole guitarist Eric Erlandson to the eclectic
Space, Kevin Martin & The Hiwatts'
The Possibility of Being came to fruition. In a sense, "Possibility" is a Martin solo endeavor, but he and The Hiwatts - along with the other musical collaborators and contributors - sound like an authoritative, mature rock-and-roll group.
Essentially,
The Possibility of Being is a breath of fresh air in the genre. It is a spirited rock-and-roll album that encompasses the tenets of rock-and-roll in every sense of the term. Kevin Martin & The Hiwatts are not a Candlebox: Revisited group. While elements of his first group's bluesy, grungy sound can be heard at various points of the album, "Possibility" distinctly incorporates a multitude of genres that can be heard quite clearly; however, it's best to discover that Kevin Martin & The Hiwatts embrace the zeal and gusto of rock-and-roll throughout the album.
From album opener "Amedia", which opens with a cymbal crash and a solitary guitar chord, Martin's distinctive voice asks instantly, "Who said you kids are all alright?" This simple vocal intro gives way to a roaring verse with crunching guitars and effective drumming, beginning the album on a masterful note. The main riff is insanely catchy and the lead guitar playing almost inconspicuously underneath it is stellar; the drumming, courtesy of Terry "T-Bone" Rowe, is strong and assertive, with crisp cymbals and a powerful snare. "Amedia" also offers an incredible vocal performance from Martin, as well as shedding light into his overall themes he explores on the album. "Amedia, Amedia, we are the monsters that feed your head with our senseless alternatives... we are all faceless in the end, over-sold and the newest trend," sings Martin with his signature voice in the verses and chorus, who may be alluding to his previous record label issues with Candlebox. After a blistering guitar solo and a more abrasive turn from Martin, the track delves deeply into the heart of rock-and-roll. The back-up vocals on the track, especially in the reprised chorus, are also truly magnificent; all told, "Amedia" is a perfect opener that effectively sets the tone of the album.
The album opener is only trumped by "If We Could", which is without question the best track on the album. The track is also the first on the album to feature an orchestral accompaniment. Lush lead guitars, courtesy of Space, who also collaborated with Martin on "Enemy" and "Telepathic Rock & Roll", are complemented with a mellow, running bassline underneath in the song's intro, which precedes an introspective Martin in the verses. Martin, who concerns himself with stopping global warming and genocide prevention, can provide rather scathing social commentary at times. Take for instance the chorus' anthemic "If we could see ourselves, would we get it right? If we don't feel at all, how can we feel alive?" or the bridge's "If we never fall... and if we want it all, who would we want to be?" From this point, the orchestral accompaniment and a fantastic guitar solo elevate the track to an explosive concluding final chorus and conclusion. The orchestra also shines wonderfully on the exceptionally beautiful, heart-wrenching album closer, "The Lovers", with heartbreaking lyrics such as "We left the gates wide open, love, but locked away our souls / Who we are is all I know, and I miss you still / Today, tomorrow, and yesterday: walk with me, share this world with me, I love you still." Martin's repeated "Set free the lovers!" is one hell of a conclusion to the album.
Another intriguing aspect of
The Possibility of Being is the wide array of genres heard on the album. "Identify" exhibits punk roots, "Telepathic Rock & Roll" as the rollicking pro-rock anthem (while indeed a song that pays tribute to his musical heroes, see Martin's incensed lyrics, which include "So don't you gimme no more transparent rock & roll stars, gimme no more transparent rock & roll" and " I define what's credible; it has a bit to do with telepathic rock & roll / I got Lennon, got Janis, got Lou, and Bob Marley knew telepathic rock & roll"), and "I" sounds stunningly
Tool-like in character, yet exhibits its own individuality. Also of interest on "Possibility" is the inclusion of samples to facilitate the music. For example, "Enemy" features American countercultural figure Peter Honda uttering his infamous "We need a real uprising" quotation, where he cites dictators like Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, and other "fanatics of filth, famine, and atrocity." Inherently, Martin's social commentary emanates throughout.
In the end,
The Possibility of Being is a bona-fide rock-and-roll album that encapsulates the spirit of rock-and-roll to an amazing degree. Martin's voice is distinguished, but not easily accessible at first. His clean vocals are superb, but at times he sounds like he uses a lot of his throat rather than his diaphragm, which sounds like it has a lot of phlegm in it from smoking. This quality, however, adds a ton of character into his delivery and to The Hiwatts' instrumentation. "Lyrics and melody have always been important to me," says Martin. "That's one of the best ways I communicate." He undoubtedly delivers on
The Possibility of Being: with caustic social commentary ("If We Could", a track that Martin states "deals with humanity, being humane to one another, asking yourself, 'What am I doing here? What is life all about for me?'" is an authoritative example of this) to heartbreaking lyricism ("Walk Away", "The Lovers") to anthemic rock-and-roll numbers ("Amedia", "Telepathic Rock & Roll", "Enemy"), Martin is absolutely brilliant. The instrumentation is excellent as well - the guitars have an eclectic and electric crunch and
Space's contributions are certainly noteworthy, the bass rumbles when heard, and the drumming provides an unwavering backbone to the Hiwatts' core sound - altogether, it certifiably encompasses the spirit of rock-and-roll. Listeners seeking a straightforward and incredibly awesome rock-and-roll record would do well in giving
The Possibility of Being a spin.
