From the moment you press play “Riding The Rails” takes you back to forgotten times. Combining western swing, hot jazz, bluegrass, a touch of blues and some very early rock & roll and you have a sound that hasn’t been popular for decades. Through the first half of the 20th century however, this was the proverbial ‘it’.
And while it all sounds very vintage it doesn’t sound outdated. Not for a second. It’s an hommage to an almost forgotten era in music and on top of that it’s a reminder. A reminder that this mix of rootsy genres isn’t dead at all. Little Kim & the Alley Apple 3 prove that throughout 15 very strong songs.
You might not say it when you hear the music, but this band hails from the beautiful country of Belgium. Where, I hear you say. Yes, Belgium. There is a lot of musical talent in Belgium, but the better known names (K’s Choice, dEUS, Soulwax) are in a completely different genre. Even other acts like Jacques Brel, Hooverphonic and Vaya Con Dios aren’t close musical neighbours. If there’s one other well-known musician from Belgium that you could tie this band to it’s jazz musician Django Reinhardt who was popular in the thirties and fourties.
So yeah, that’s what you should know Belgium from. But lets get back to Little Kim & the Alley Apple 3. As I mentioned before, they bring an almost forgotten genre back to life. The combination of excellent songwriting, technically very strong musicians and a female lead singer that not just has that classic beautiful look but also a classic beautiful voice that gives this bands all the facets they need to be successful in this genre. “Riding The Rails” is only the band’s debut full-length but this world would be very unfair if there wouldn’t be many more albums to follow in the future.
It would be almost unfair to say certain songs are highlights because the level of the CD is extremely high. But if I’d have to pick a couple songs I would say the title track Riding The Rails, Who Walks In When I Walk Out, Before The Storm, Ballad of the Old Oak Tree and Lou Ella Brown are tracks that you should at the very, very least listen to. Tom de Poorter is a very skilled guitar player and his fingerpicking skills are quite astonishing, combined with the iconic lapsteel playing of Pat Cattoir, Slappin’ Slim’s impeccable timing on the double bass and Kimberly Claes’ pure, clear vocals (with excellent range), make Little Kim & the Alley Apple 3 one of the most surprising, intriguing and one of the most impressing bands I’ve come across in the last 5 years.
And while it all sounds very vintage it doesn’t sound outdated. Not for a second. It’s an hommage to an almost forgotten era in music and on top of that it’s a reminder. A reminder that this mix of rootsy genres isn’t dead at all. Little Kim & the Alley Apple 3 prove that throughout 15 very strong songs.
You might not say it when you hear the music, but this band hails from the beautiful country of Belgium. Where, I hear you say. Yes, Belgium. There is a lot of musical talent in Belgium, but the better known names (K’s Choice, dEUS, Soulwax) are in a completely different genre. Even other acts like Jacques Brel, Hooverphonic and Vaya Con Dios aren’t close musical neighbours. If there’s one other well-known musician from Belgium that you could tie this band to it’s jazz musician Django Reinhardt who was popular in the thirties and fourties.
So yeah, that’s what you should know Belgium from. But lets get back to Little Kim & the Alley Apple 3. As I mentioned before, they bring an almost forgotten genre back to life. The combination of excellent songwriting, technically very strong musicians and a female lead singer that not just has that classic beautiful look but also a classic beautiful voice that gives this bands all the facets they need to be successful in this genre. “Riding The Rails” is only the band’s debut full-length but this world would be very unfair if there wouldn’t be many more albums to follow in the future.
It would be almost unfair to say certain songs are highlights because the level of the CD is extremely high. But if I’d have to pick a couple songs I would say the title track Riding The Rails, Who Walks In When I Walk Out, Before The Storm, Ballad of the Old Oak Tree and Lou Ella Brown are tracks that you should at the very, very least listen to. Tom de Poorter is a very skilled guitar player and his fingerpicking skills are quite astonishing, combined with the iconic lapsteel playing of Pat Cattoir, Slappin’ Slim’s impeccable timing on the double bass and Kimberly Claes’ pure, clear vocals (with excellent range), make Little Kim & the Alley Apple 3 one of the most surprising, intriguing and one of the most impressing bands I’ve come across in the last 5 years.