“Red Light District” is the fifth album from Hollywood alt-rockers Kicking Harold and was released on their own label Ultradose Music. The band has been on the scene since the nineties and you may be familiar with one of their tunes, “Gasoline,” which was featured on TLC’s show “Overhaulin'” for four seasons. Led by lead singer and guitarist Tim David Kelly, Kicking Harold is a great combination of classic hard rock, alternative, and pop. The rhythm section of drummer Michael Odabashian and bassist Bret Domrose round things out, keeping a driving beat throughout the new record.
The album kicks off with “American Nitro” which is a killer song. It’s rough and gritty hard rock just the way the doctor ordered. Changing things up is the pop vibe of “Drinkin’ To Forget You” and the acoustic “Sunflower.” The first single, “Kill You,” is an interesting tune as it first appeared on their now out of print 1996 debut album “Ugly & Festering” and was retracked and modernized for this record. Kelly’s vocals and guitar work stand out on the painful ballad “It Still Hurts” and the heavy riffs of their cover of “Need You Tonight” by INXS are outstanding. Closing out the record in perfect fashion is the hard driving, frenetic pace of alt-rocker “Let’s Fly Away” which fades to the sound of airplane noises.
“Red Light District” is a terrific outing by a talented band that has been shamefully overlooked by the American music scene. Don’t let this one pass you by.
