Davy Knowles, Gerry McAvoy, Brendan O’Neill: MKO Review

MKO is the newest offering from blues singer/guitarist Davy Knowles (formerly of Back Door Slam), with Gerry McAvoy on bass and Brendan O’Neill on drums (both formerly of Rory Gallagher’s band). The album hit shelves in mid-October, and it quite frankly rips. 

MKO  feels like something of a marriage between the best work of Bad Company from the peak ‘70s and more recent efforts from Blackberry Smoke. It’s classic 1970s-style blues rock injected with a heavy dose of country-western spirit.

The album’s excellence remains mostly steady throughout; there is no real discernible rise and fall in the quality of tracks on the record. The two singles of the album are “Days Gone By” and “Someone Else’s Dream,” both of which are excellent radio-friendly anthems that I scored 10 out of 10. “Days Gone By” feels more on the 70s rock side, while  “Someone Else’s Dream” is more sultry and slow. Both tracks show off the best of the trio’s influence and musical sensibilities.

As good as the opening third of the album is, my favorite tracks sit firmly in the middle of the run time, “Hold on Strong” and “The Great Charade.” “Hold on Strong” is just shy of five and a half minutes of slow burn crooning about the nobility of struggle that remains uplifting and inspiring while conveying the fatigue of working for a better world. “The Great Charade” features a rollicking country-western guitar part that would feel right at home at a Townes Van Zandt show driving a sad western-infused ballad about the lies lovers tell themselves.

The weakest songs on the record (which are by no means bad songs, I scored each an eight out of 10) are the two closers, “Never Enough” and “Still Got Work to Do.” The former features a fun guitar intro that feels reminiscent of AC/DC’s “Hell’s Bells” with excellent bass work from McAvoy, while the latter has a killer honky tonk vibe that reminded me strongly of ZZ Top’s biggest hits. It is in these comparisons that the sole detraction of these tracks lies: they feel a little too close to the structure and melody of some big classics.

MKO is an excellent offering from an excellent ensemble of veteran musicians. It’s simple, catchy, and above all, fun. The musicianship and ear for crowd-pleasing melodies and riffs are impressive and endlessly enjoyable. Let’s hope to see more collaborations from these three in the future!

The Review: 9/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Days Gone By
– Someone Else’s Dream
– The Great Charade
– Hold on Strong

The Big Hit

– Hold on Strong