The Local Tourists - Happy Birthday Kyle

The debut effort from The Local Tourists, Happy Birthday Kyle, is an exciting exploration into the numerous palettes available for a singer-songwriting duo. Penned by two graduates of Indiana University's School of Music, the album provides the listener with an assortment of musical styles, touching upon rock, pop, bluegrass, world and even an epic musical tale, ala "Bohemian Rhapsody." While each tune displays the incredible vocal and compositional talent of the duo, no track is too complicated for the average listener to wrap their mind around. Diverting from the three- or four-chord acoustic love song typical of singer-songwriters, the duo took a multifaceted approach to each song, never seeming to do something just because it was the easy or traditional thing to do.

"Tuesday Evening" kicks off the album and sets the tone for what's to come. A self-reflective tune with dark undertones, "Tuesday" explores the mindset of a guy trying to find his place in mainstream, suburban America. "Shine on Me" follows and uplifts with a bouncy tempo and major chord progressions, but still gives the listener something to ponder with its desperate lyrics.

"Kyle," "Tangled" and "Marlee ('s a Redheaded Girl)" bring the album back to its coffee house roots with a more acoustic base and smiley choruses and harmonies. "Marlee" also gives a taste of the duo's classical and rock influences with opera-referencing lyrics and Trey Anastasio-esq guitar solo.

From there the album really starts to diversify. The "Ballad of Lickey and Diamond" is a six and half minute tale of love and loss on the high seas, but is so much more musically, incorporating all 12 musical tones throughout the multi-part epic. "Amanda" and "April 14th" gives each member a chance to lay their heart on the table for past love interests. The solo acoustic guitar of "Grace" reminds of The Allman Brothers' "Little Martha" or Phish's "Inlaw Josie Wales."

"She's Mine" returns to the poppy melodies of "Marlee" and "Shine on Me," while "Katie" dives into the country/bluegrass genre. "Six for a Parlay" conveys the anger and frustration of non-reciprocated love in both its lyrics and driving, somewhat chaotic melody. The campy, snake-charming "Pharaoh" closes the album and gives the duo the chance to show off their classically trained vocals while having a little fun too.

Overall, Happy Birthday Kyle is a great album for both the trained ear and the average music fan. While the singer-songwriter base is evident in several tunes, this wasn't recorded on a four-track in a homemade studio. The backing talent includes percussionist Steve Wolf (Joss Stone, Johnny Cash, Alicia Keys), bassist Jack Daley (Lenny Kravitz, Michael Jackson, Mick Jager) and pianist Jim Ryan as well as guest musicians Tara Harvey (oboe), Scott Wakefield (banjo) and Danny Yoo (violin) and was produced in New York City at Monster Island Records by Mike Caffrey and mastered at Sterling Sound and Engine Room Audio (Avril Lavigne, Ryan Adams, George Clinton, Chaka Khan, Soulive). The time and effort is evident in every tune.

Rating
Overall: 4/5
Originality: 4/5
Production: 5/5
Listenability: 5/5

Available at Itunes, CD Baby and Amazon.com.

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