Last Updated on February 1, 2023, 12:49 PM | Published: February 1, 2023
The sound of crackling radio static, possibly ominous and maybe even otherworldly, heralds the arrival of “Tin Can Gramophone,” the new full-length effort from jazz wunderkind, multi-instrumentalist, sometime sideman, and now part-time amp builder Kyle Reid.
When the static breaks, you’re welcomed into Reid’s own musical world, equal parts jaunty, European café and creepy, abandoned amusement park, all held together by the surprisingly approachable jazzy improvisations and instrumental detours of Reid and the infinitely able backing band he’s assembled.
There was a point in time when a younger, softer Kyle Reid traded in an admittedly more boyish, indie folk-tinged brand of guitar-focused swing jazz. But with age has come a darker, smokier, dare I say more dangerous side to his music, harkening toward heroes like Django Reinhardt and, above all others, the emperor of junkyard jazz himself, Tom Waits.
The gruff specter of Waits hovers over the entirety of “Tin Can Gramophone,” from the chain-rattling, barely contained underworld atmosphere to the sly, pseudo character work of Reid’s own vocal performance.
While Waits’ character has always been the lonely, drunken lunatic alone beneath a streetlight, Reid here is playing more of a Harold Hill-style con man, exuding all the charm needed to sweep you fully off your feet only to drop you back into the oddly sinister, off-kilter world below.
And while Wait’s musical accompaniment is often focused on texture and world-building, Reid’s own classic jazz inclinations mean a deeper focus on the musicianship and chops of the players.
The guitar work is unsurprisingly spot-on, as always, but Reid’s comfort and confidence with the instrument have grown into a beautifully tightened focus on melody and more subtle thematic development rather than fretboard acrobatics or show-off solos.
Likewise, the band that he’s built around himself on this record feels principally occupied with tightness and class, even as the songs retain that old-school Parisian looseness that Reid has always favored in his jazz.
Exploring those kinds of contradictions – tight and loose, creepy and charismatic, traditional and alien – is something of a theme running throughout.
“This album was meant to sound like a couple aliens surfing the radio waves as they orbit the earth,” Reid told me, “so the songs span a variety of genres and production techniques.”
That variety of genres does mostly comprise variations of the toe-tapping jazz that Reid handles so well, but there are plenty of left-field takes on the sound in nearly every track.
Instrumental “Know It Show It” bleeds through the static to reveal a kind of Old West saloon jingle.
“Nice Guy” embraces a breezier, jazz-pop fusion sound that could have been perfect for AM radio in the 70’s.
“Shaken” offers a dark, manic twist on country-jazz that would feel right at home in a David Lynch movie.
A press statement accompanying the album says that the aim was “a sense of timelessness in two directions, into the past and into the future.”
Nowhere is that goal better tested than on the unexpected and wholly welcome “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” a menacing, nearly unhinged take on Hank Williams’ signature cowboy classic.
Reid’s version drops the heart-aching longing and woe-is-me shroud, replacing it all with something almost threatening, emphasizing the spite and vindictiveness at the song’s core. It’s not only an unexpected turn for the song, but definitely for Reid himself, who has long maintained a reputation as one of the nicest people in the OK music scene.
Hearing him snap a bit and explore his own dark side is a kind of fun that I didn’t expect when jumping into the album.
It’ll be especially interesting to see and hear how Reid translates these songs and their character-driven arcs and attitudes into a live setting. Where he’s normally more soft-spoken and understated on stage, these tracks are tailored to force Reid to break out of that expectation and ham it up a bit in some fun new ways.
Luckily, he’s giving audiences a few chances to experience that for themselves before the official album drop with a small run of pre-release album preview shows throughout the next month.
Live, local performances
Reid and his Low-Swinging Chariots will be taking the new songs for a spin February 4th at OKC’s Blue Door, February 17th at Maggie’s Music Box in Jenks, and February 25th back on Reid’s home stage at The Deli in Norman.
Each of the shows, which Reid tells me will be “a special event” will feature new songs, a few surprises, and pre-release copies available of “Tin Can Gramophone” ahead of the album’s official drop on March 3rd through Horton Records.
For more, follow Kyle Reid on Facebook at facebook.com/kylereidtunes, and on Instagram at @kylereidmusic, and keep up with his happenings alongside his extended band at facebook.com/lowswingingchariots.
Brett Fieldcamp has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for nearly 15 years, writing for several local and state publications. He’s also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.
