Kino - "Picture" Review

Artist/ Band: Kino
Title: Picture
Label: InsideOut Music
Year of Release: 2005
Artist/ Band Link (click for details/ ordering)

The Review:

Kino is made up of four fantastic popular musicians, including John Mitchell (Arena’s guitarist), Pete Trewavas (Marillion, ex-Transatlantic bassist) and add Chris Maitland (ex-Porcupine Tree drummer) and John Beck (It Bites’s keyboardist). For those that care, it seems that InsideOut Music had an important and major role in the formation of Kino, so much that Picture represents their 200th release.

The music these four guys create is basically a poprock flavored form of progressive music, bordering slightly on AOR. The hooks and melodies are far superior to most newer mainstream bands. It even has a "classic" pop rock quality to most of the songs with it's song writing, composition and delivery.

The vocals are handled by John Mitchell, who sounds similar to Ray Wilson, Steve Hogarth and Peter Gabriel type. Some reviewers haven’t warmed up to John’s vocals but I think they are perfect for the music on their debut album, Picture.

Of all the tracks on Picture, the one that standsout the most to me, and could be a signature sound is the song, People. Everyone provides excellent playing that gives the song a solid memorable feel.

Remember that this is a very acessible album and those looking for complex time signatures, etc will not find it here, but what you will find is the musicianship and instrumentation involved to be stellar. This is another solid release for 2005, recommended especially for fans of Arena, Marillion and Porcupine Tree.

Reviewed by Ron Fuchs on March 8th, 2005

Tracks:

1. Losers Day Parade

2. Letting Go

3. Telling Me To Tell You

4. Swimming In Women

5. People

6. All You See

7. Perfect Tense

8. Room For Two

9. Holding On

10. Picture