Daily Kent Stater, October 1, 1997 Local band has little steam Full Blown Kirk is full of it, all right ­ hot air. The four-member band is comprised of vocalists Alison Scola and Krista Tortora, keyboardist Joe Minadeo and guitarist Jack Randall. The Kent-based band uses electronic equipment as well as the usual keyboards, guitars and drums alternative bands are built on. The sound they try to produce on their album "Faiza" is just that ­ a sound. Like most alternative groups, Full Blown Kirk is trying to come up with a new twist to the old Seattle sound. "You could call our style uninhibited electronic," Randall said. "We are technology, and we don't want to go for one style. We're trying to break the ground for another style of music." They actually reach that feat on two songs: "Plastic" and "Sleepy Venus." "Plastic" is laced with heavy drums that explode throughout the entire song. The drums help to create a nice hypnotic melody that carries the voices of Scola and Tortora to levels not often reached on the tape. The lyrics of the song are not the best written, but the music covers up the flaw of the words. Since "Plastic" is such a short song, followed by a poorer one, the quality of it is lost on the listener, who is then thrown into a frenzy of music without a direction. The use of hip-hop, pop, rock and techno opens the group to criticism for their lack of insight on what type of sound they want to produce. With the overuse of electronic sounds, the feeling of the group's music is lost, but when they do find it in some spots, Full Blown Kirk creates an incredible musical composition. The strongest thing the band has going for it is the vocal abilities of Scola and Tortora. On the tape their voices control songs that would be devoid of any feeling or comprehension. The vocalists need a more stable sound behind their voices. By trying to get the blend of their music into a more cohesive sound and finding the direction they want to take on their next album, the band should get more of the uninhibited sound they want to produce, according to Randall. With a bit of reconstruction and similar lyrics, Full Blown Kirk could be on their way toward blowing up with their next effort.

-- By Fellicia Smith

Images/Design © Teresa Kiplinger, 1997.