Kyle Henderson - Brand New Chance (2013)

Brand New Chance is the first solo record for guitarist/bassist/vocalist Kyle Henderson, former lead vocalist and bassist of the ’80s power-pop band the Producers. The album marks Henderson’s entrance into the blues rock genre, and hopes to reestablish Henderson in the music world, after several years out of the spotlight.
Blues rock, by its nature, tends to produce a number of artists who are phenomenal guitarists and average vocalists, but Henderson is almost the opposite. Henderson is a very good vocalist, gifted with a voice that is strong, powerful, and flexible. Henderson’s intonation is spot-on, and he is very comfortable embellishing his vocal melodies. His guitar playing is not bad, but, especially as a soloist, he simply isn’t at the level of a Derek Trucks or a Joe Bonamassa. That being said, Henderson makes up for this in a variety of ways, mostly with his extremely powerful voice, but also with well-written and well-produced songs.
Henderson has a great ear for songs. The songs are good, and the arrangements outstanding. The band is together, the lead vocals are remarkably strong, and the guitar solos are decent. The title track, “Band New Chance,” is probably the gem of the album, as it mixes Henderson’s power-pop/rock background with a slightly more traditional blues groove and harmonic progression. Most of the songs on the album are more reminiscent of classic rock than they are blues, but that doesn’t stop them from being very good songs. Among the other gems on the album are “Good People,” “Lucky Man,” and “Perfect Day,” which are the best true blues tunes on the album. ~Nik Rodewald
Kyle Henderson: vocals, guitar; Michael Ripp: guitar; John Christensen: bass; Chris Sandoval: drums; Special guests: Jimmy Voegeli (keys); Steve Hamilton (percussion). All songs by Kyle Henderson.