These days, I am no longer surprised when an artist that I’m not familiar with surfaces with some really new and engaging music. Alex Kilroy and his brand new album, Break My Chains, represent exactly that kind of songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist.
Hailing from Transylvania, Romania, he felt as a small child that he belonged in the United States and displayed the American flag over his bed. Born into a family where music was a constant, Kilroy began his musical journey by taking piano lessons. When he was five or six years old, his father obtained an automobile imported from the U.S.A., and inside the vehicle was a Stevie Ray Vaughan DVD of his performance, Live At Montreux. Alex, the piano player, decided that he wanted to play guitar.
His dad challenged him to learn three Stevie Ray Vaughan tunes, note for note, over the summer, and then he would allow him to switch from piano to guitar. He successfully completed that mission and followed it by becoming part of a Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute band. That was followed by tours in Spain and France. Kilroy’s dad encouraged him to be an original and not an imitator, and he began writing his own material.
He competed on The Voice Romania at age twenty and attended the Berklee College of Music summer program in Boston. He also spent a brief time playing on the television show Dancing With The Stars before traveling to Nashville. There, he spent time playing with other quality musicians before moving to Florida, where he now resides.
Alex Kilroy’s debut album, Break My Chains, is twelve tracks of really well done music, featuring Alex Kilroy’s superb and artistic guitar playing and smooth vocals. I have to confess that some of the songs, to me, are less bluesy than others, but all are skillful and polished.
The title track, “Break My Chains,” kicks off with some attention-grabbing keyboard and guitar work. Kilroy sings, “Won’t you do it, won’t you break my chains.” Listeners will love the haunting guitar work that he provides in this original. He continues with, “I’m exactly where I wanted to be.” I believe that last line describes exactly where Alex Kilroy is today: exactly where he wants to be.
I love the jazzy intro to the fourth track, titled “Angel.” “It feels so good being loved by an angel. Falling in love with an angel.” This is definitely a great love song that you could find playing as a top forty radio station selection, and that is meant as a compliment. It doesn’t ring out as a blues-oriented tune to me, but it is certainly a great tune. I love the additional vocals by Kilroy’s girlfriend, Sophia Medina, in this one and the change-up that precedes a killer guitar solo. “It can happen to you someday, somehow.”
“Let Me Play The Blues For You” is one of the more bluesy numbers on Break My Chains and features more samples of Alex Kilroy’s talented guitar ability. He sings, “Don’t knock on my door if you ain’t got nothing good to sell.” He follows with, “Let me play the blues for you. That’s what I do.” And that’s exactly what he does on this one. He plays the blues with profound, heartfelt emotion and ends the song with some explosive guitar dynamite.
“Let The Good Times Roll” has already caught some widespread attention, with Vince Gill making a guest appearance on it. It is a rocker and a danceable, fast-paced song for sure. Kilroy sings, “Now that you’ve got your song recorded, time to set it free” and “You got to pay the toll to let the good times roll.” Yes, there is more really blistering guitar picking in this one, also. I believe Alex Kilroy has certainly been paying the toll throughout his musical career, and now, with the release of Break My Chains, he’s letting those good times roll.
As I always do, I did a little more digging in addition to checking out this new release. I visited YouTube and watched live video clips of Alex Kilroy playing some more traditional blues numbers like “Have You Ever Loved A Woman,” “Give Me One Reason,” “Cross Roads,” “Little Wing,” and “The Sky Is Crying.” My verdict is that he is undoubtedly a rare and accomplished guitarist who also possesses an enjoyable and pleasant singing voice.
Break My Chains is an excellent, well done album, but my opinion is that Alex Kilroy’s true talent is in more traditionally influenced blues-styled music, and I don’t mean that in any negative way at all. He just seems to shine when I watched him in those YouTube clips. Still, I enjoyed this album as a whole, and there were many special highlights all over it. Even though I didn’t note it in the actual review, I also enjoyed the Allman Brothers Band cover.
I look forward to catching him live somewhere down the road, and I would encourage you to do the same if you’re able. I’ll also be looking forward to his future recording projects. Alex Kilroy has a bright and successful career ahead of him, and expect to be seeing and hearing a lot more great things from him in the future.
The Review: 8/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– Break My Chains
– Angel
– Let Me Play The Blues For You
– Let The Good Times Roll
The Big Hit
– Angel
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