Tall and gangly, his red mop flopping, Key has torn up just about every barroom stage this city had ever thrown together. And now he's got a CD, Cosmic Garage, a 12 song collection of original tunes. It's an aptly titled album. Like an unglorified garage effort, the music is nice and simple with no noticeable studio trickery, just Key's guitar backed by bass and drums. (He uses four different combos throughout the work.)
But it's cosmic too. First there's the lyrical content. On 'Dream Lizards', for instance, Key sings, over and African-sounding melody, "The Lizards are coming now, the lizards are walking down your street."
Then there's Key's dreamy, cosmic guitar playing. The poor guy's probably getting sick of being compared to Hendrix, but that influence is definetely there.
Key is probably best at frantic stomps like the opening cut 'Hand on a Hotwire'.
"I'm alright I'm alright!" he shouts, as if he's really not sure but he's determined to be all right,
"I just put my hand on the hot wire" It's my favorite song on the record, though I liked the crazied version
he played on New Year's Eve at El Paseo even better.
But Key does the slow, smoky tunes like a certified psychedelic shaman.
The instrumental 'Blue Desert'
is a slinky, bluesy gem. It's so easy to space out on it, you might not notice the short pause before the
next tune, 'Maybe An Outlaw". The two blend together.
The five minute 'Don't Fear The Fire' has a Doors-like midnight-at-the-Filmore quality.
Actually the CD should have ended with this song.
Key says he's already planning a second album, which he says will concentrate on the walls-to-the-ball
rockers. I bet there's a lot more sounds to come out of his cosmic garage.
-Steve Terrel
Request Key's music on HALO Radio and on
Whole Wheat Radio!
