image courtesy of Frank Roszak Promotions

Album Review of Kyle Culkin: Pork Chops & Blues

“Break me off a piece of that pork chop, baby, break me off a piece of that meat…” I guarantee you’ll be singing along by the end of the first listen to disc-opener “The Pork Chop Song.” Kyle Culkin delivers an energetic disc full o’ rollickin’ blues with Pork Chops & Blues.

I rarely quote from artist bios in my reviews, but when Culkin opened for the B.B. King on his 80th birthday tour, B.B. King proclaimed, “This kid can play!” I can’t argue with B.B.

Song two is a Culkin-penned number, an energetically bluesy “So Damn Old,” with guest axework from Carl Verheyen, whose rock ‘n roll album I reviewed at the blog a couple years ago. The guitars roll throughout this track, a song as blues as blues, and Kyle’s moderately gruff voice concludes, convincingly tired and drained, “You’re as young as you feel, or so I’m told. So I’m sittin’ here wonderin’ why I feel so damn old.”

Kyle slows things down a little with the crooner “By the Blues” before amping up the energy on one “Burn It All Down.” But that additional juice was apparently just a stepping-stone to the next track, as Kyle hits the accelerator even harder during catchy singalong-worthy country-blues rocker “Why Me.” For someone who likes to listen to album in their intended order, this is a terrific three-song sequence.

Next up is “Nothing From Nobody,” a nice addition to this song collection, a change of pace number that treads that fine line between “blues” and “complaining.”

Penultimate song “Can’t Come Down” really slows things down, a sweet soft rock song with just a hint of blues, by far the most appropriate number in this collection for those looking for a slow dance.

Kyle closes the record with “Wouldn’t Change a Thing,” more a big stage soul-pop-rock song than a blues number. It’s an engaging song with a big sound, well-placed at the end of the album, particularly after the previous, palate-cleansing entry.

Pork Chops & Blues is a short, 8-song album, short enough that it leaves you wanting more, which might very well be the point.

Since the Release

Pork Chops & Blues, released in May 2021, isn’t Kyle’s current album. Just a few weeks ago he released a new record, Shotgun Ridge. I haven’t heard that yet – I’m looking forward to giving it a listen – but Pork Chops & Blues is a special album I simply had to share with you. It’s been a favorite of mine for the last couple of years, and if you dig the blues, I’d highly recommend it.