KYLE REID - DON'T BE AFRAID
cigar box 2015
"recorded in four days at a blue house on a bluff overlooking a lake in arkansas in the spring, written and performed on a three-stringed cigar box guitar" - free download solo effort from okie eclectic gypsy jazz & western swing band frontman KYLE REID, a paradigm shift, a far cry from the goodtime barrelhouse vibe of THE LOW SWINGING CHARIOTS, a brief journey of isolation, appalachian hill country meets dust bowl plains, beginning with "embark (a song of hope)" and progressing toward a stark climax titled "vultures (a song of fear)" resolving with the cathartic "it's alright (a song of comfort)" - both figuratively and literally miles from his comfort zone, REID not only maintains the optimistic spirit for which he and his music are synonymous, he tempers it into something that cannot be broken, hopefully to carry it even further and return with more incredible music like this -- there is a stash of limited edition cds available at GUESTROOM RECORDS if digital-only isn't your thing, hopefully the right label out there does the right thing and gives this a proper analog issue
