Dan McKinnon: As Sharp As Possible Review
Dan McKinnon is relatively new to the scene. As Sharp As Possible is his upcoming album, set to drop November 19th. As Sharp As Possible is McKinnon’s first full-length album. McKinnon resides in Canada but has performed in such cities as Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago.
In As Sharp As Possible’s first track “Ain’t Looking Back” the guitar is without a doubt the biggest strength of the song. While the vocals are pleasant, one’s attention is truly drawn to the heavy guitar solo featured. Rolling right into “King of the Hill,” the sharp and well performed guitar returns.
As Sharp As Possible slows the pace down a significantly in “Killing Time.” McKinnon passionately croons throughout the song. “Killing Time” truly highlights McKinnon’s voice. It also showcases some of the most impressive guitar playing of the album. Immediately following the slower pace of “Killing Time,” the album is brought right back up to speed with “Heart Attack.” Backup vocals on the chorus of this song add a little flavor that isn’t seen throughout the rest of the album.
“Perfect Ten” is a sweet love song that brings a smile to the listeners face. McKinnon refers to his lover as a “Perfect Ten” who “brightens up my life.” Who wouldn’t want to hear this from their significant other? “The Recipe” (featuring Jack de Keyzer) is a song made for guitar lovers. The intricate song could easily be compared to the importance of every ingredient of a recipe. As Sharp As Possible ends with a little Southern twang with “A Different Road.” This song has plenty of life and has the vibe of a high energy jam made especially for live shows.
As a whole, As Sharp As Possible is a well put together album, but it doesn’t particularly stand out. There is no big draw to coming back to the album. As Sharp As Possible is far from a bad album; Dan McKinnon just needs to find what he can bring to the table to make him stand out. With that said, as a young artist McKinnon has plenty of potential to find just that.
The Review: 7/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– King of the Hill
– Killing Time
– Perfect Ten
– Heart Attack
– A Different Road
The Big Hit
– A Different Road
Review by Alysha Rendflesh
I got this CD in the mail at WMHB. I have selected an above-average number of tracks to play on my radio show. The guitar sound is awesome and the tracks just crank. First impressions matter – and the intro to track 1,AIN’T LOOKING BACK, is killer. I agree the ‘heavy guitar’ is the draw, but the rhythm section is kickin’ as well. KING OF THE HILL, GOT IT BAD and DIFFERENT ROAD all rock. KILLING TIME is on my list as well… a great blues sound/rhythm/feel. Keep it coming and keep rockin’!