Kenny Wesley: The Window

Kenny Wesley’s new single, “The Window”, doesn’t show much promise. There are prominent pounding drums, and guitars dance up and down. However, it’s boring from the get-go: the hook lacks punch, the bridge is unappealing, and his voice lacks emotional power. Wesley claims that he “wanted to take music with the ‘70s funk feel of Graham Central Station, Sly & The Family Stone, and Stevie Wonder but rock it with a modern feel of bigger drums and slamming vibe to keep it from just sounding retro and old.” The drums are big but they are also lifeless and dull, and the bass has little presence. The song doesn’t have much in the way of funk and it has none of the creativity and unpredictability of Stevie Wonder or Sly, let alone the fun and cheekiness. Wesley may be trying to update an old sound, but he should work harder on locating its musical spirit. In his eagerness to fast forward to the present, he left the groove behind.