Currently enjoying “Akimbo Alogo” by Kim Mitchell

I went out and bought this record a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve got to admit that it really holds up. Sure, I’m saying that as a guy who actually likes Canadian cottage rock, which isn’t exactly everyone’s bottle of Blue. But if you’ve heard the hits like “All We Are” and “Go for Soda,” and you happened to like them, then you’ll want to check out the rest of the album.

Tracks like “Lager and Ale” and “That’s a Man” are fine examples of the blues rock sensibility we’ve come to expect from Kim Mitchell. “Love Ties” and “Rumour Has It” showcase a heavier, more eclectic kind of musicianship than you might have seen coming. Finally, the album’s closing tracks, “Caroline” and “Called Off,” land the album in a way that almost makes you miss the power ballad in general.

It’s a dated album, sure, and maybe it’s a Canadian thing to boot. But you know what? I don’t care. I make no apologies for enjoying this album, damn it. Why, I might even take it up to the lake this summer. And if I should happen to get a little too drunk one night in the near future while listening to “All We Are” and wind up crying my eyes out and calling old friends I haven’t spoken to since high school, would that really be such a bad thing?

Posted in Currently Enjoying