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Mikal Evans

A Jailhouse... A Kingdom

(Gypsy Eyes; US: 10 Jun 2008; UK: 23 Jun 2008)

Mikal Evans has a voice that is an acquired taste, but once acquired its hard to pass up. Evans, who mixes folk with intricate arrangements, comes off like the devilish little sister of Kathleen Edwards on the soulful, bluesy “Dark Hushes Light”. It’s a great beginning to the five-song EP that also contains the poppy, roots rock nugget “That City”. But Evans finds her niche perfectly on the slow, deliberate and down-tempo “Penitentiary” with its alt.country or Americana guitar accents. Sadly, Evans leaves “Virginia Wind” twisting in the wind, resembling something that Sheryl Crow might have attempted circa The Globe Sessions but then quickly tossed aside. Overall it’s a good first impression, but then again it’s only a handful of songs.

Rating:

Originally from Cape Breton, MacNeil is currently writing for the Toronto Sun as well as other publications, including All Music Guide, Billboard.com, NME.com, Country Standard Time, Skope Magazine, Chart Magazine, Glide, Ft. Myers Magazine and Celtic Heritage. A graduate of the University of King's College, MacNeil currently resides in Toronto. He has interviewed hundreds of acts ranging from Metallica and AC/DC to Daniel Lanois and Smokey Robinson. MacNeil (modestly referred to as King J to friends), a diehard Philadelphia Flyers fan, has seen the Rolling Stones in a club setting, thereby knowing he will rest in peace at some point down the road. Oh, and he writes for PopMatters.com.


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