I recently downloaded Kevin Cott’s first album, “Equilibrium.”  I had heard some of his early stuff a few years back and was looking forward to hearing this full album.  After listening to this album in the car, in the airport, and in my office, I’ve decided to write down my thoughts on the record.

He has a very likable, listenable sound.  His style of songwriting is dynamic, bringing the listener up and down.  The music is never boring.  I would even say that you could remove the vocals and have a great instrumental album.  However, don’t let the instrumentation discount his voice and lyrics.  Overall, Kevin shows us some acoustic, folk, blues, and rock influence on his writing.  That being said, this is an album that I feel a wide array of people can enjoy.

The first song on the album, “Till the Day That You Die,” is a great way to open up.  It has a positive, storytelling feel to it.  The song has a good energy to it that is easy to tap your foot to.  The opening few bars are unique and catchy, making it easy to recognize when it comes on again in your playlist.  Writing music that a listener recognizes in the first few beats is not always easy, at least not easy to do and leave a good impression.  Kevin hit it on the head with this track.  In the chorus he sings a very catchy rhyme: “With your heart in your hands and your fist in the sky / that’s just how you’ll be till the day that you die.” It’s lines like this throughout the album that make Kevin’s songs memorable and catchy.

The third track on the album, “The Balance,” is a contemplative song where Kevin bounces his thoughts back and forth between himself.  For example, lines like “I contemplate the weight of what it means to die / and if I think therefore I am, then who the hell am I? / To be cynical of questions whose answers we’ve not heard, / when did “I don’t know” become such a dirty word?” are great lyrics that again are catchy enough to stay in your head.  He seems to humble himself in this song, trying to find where what he believes and what he is influenced by intersect, sometimes clashing.

“A Million to One” is another track where he presents an easy-to-listen-to song that your foot can’t resist.  He touches on some of the things in his life that mean a lot to him.  It’s another example of a running bass line that just works well with the song.

Another one of my favorite tracks on the album is “Kansas (Let Me Be),” another track in which he uses all of the instruments to pull the listener in.  Nothing that he writes is overly complicated, thereby alienating some listeners.  Instead, the bass, drums, guitar, organ, and vocals all contribute independently interesting parts.  Three minutes in he brings a Fender Strat in for a couple of riffs for a bluesy, almost John Mayer sound.  Again, he doesn’t overdo it.  I like that the song retains its own sound while paying tribute to some of Kevin’s influences.

The last track on the album is more of a rough recording of his acoustic and vocals.  I like the simplicity of “Chosen Words.”  Kevin shows that he not only understands how to write a dynamic song but that he also has a grasp on how to write an entire dynamic album.  He leaves the listener with a slow, acoustic track that is right at home in a local coffee shop or a nice pub.

Go to kevincott.bandcamp.com to listen to the tracks and get his album for $5.  Listen to it and leave your thoughts in the comments section below so I can hear what you think of the album, too.  While you’re at it, go follow him on Twitter: @KevinCott