Tracks Learning to Speak (Intro) Do You Right What Did I Get Myself Into Half as Much Miss Behavin' Carry On Chemistry Blues (Interlude) Before I Speak Waiting Paranoid Teach Me Chemistry Doesn't Get Much Better Until the Next Time (Outro) Good Time
You'll have to excuse Kyle Riabko for missing the prom. When not studying in front of a computer, the 17-year-old Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native spent his junior year of high school touring with the likes of John Mayer, Buddy Guy and Maroon 5, and recording a wildly ambitious full-length major label debut,Before I Speak, with guests Liz Phair and Robert Randolph. He not only writes the songs on the album, but also sings, and plays guitar and bass, making him the kind of overachiever that probably wouldn't be too popular with the Ashlee Simpson fans at school anyway. Fortunately, he's got bluesy, soulful songs like "Do You Right" and "Doesn't Get Much Better" to win him plenty of other dates.--Aidin Vaziri
Canadian Soul Why are all the reviews of this artist by "homers" from the Great White North. Where are all the American lovers of funk and soul?
Convince me this is a 17 year old. No way. How can someone that young have so much soul and emotion? Possessed by the ghost of some 70's funk and soul singer, he is. We can only hope his material continues to be this strong.
Nice guy finishes first-we all win We've much to be thankful for when it comes to our neighbors to the north, especially Kyle Riabko. At the tender age of 17 he has gifted us with a debut album that swings, croons and rocks. I first heard the immensely danceable "What did I get myself Into?" on the radio and was transfixed. Although the lyrics belie an insightful plea, "I didn't realize the compromise I put you through," the guitar and bass chops (all Kyle) will have you bouncing around the kitchen. This is a very contagious tune. "Miss Behavin'" is a delightfully nasty bit of hip-twisting teen angst that grooves and pops as if it were being played in the back of a low-riding Cadillac. The title track is a lyrically smart autobio of the sweat and vulnerability it takes to lay your life down in them grooves. I highly recommend this CD to those who walk on the other side of the mall when confronted by packs of teenagers-Kyle's got something to say and we should all take a minute to chill, groove and think. This kid is the real thing.It's not fair for someone this young to have this much talent! I own hundreds of CDs, but I don't think I have ever before had this experience: -Hear a song on internet radio from someone I have never heard of -Click on the CD image and read a couple reviews -Decide immediately to buy the CD -Find that the entire disc is good, not just a couple of songs This guy is fantastic -- the writing, the singing, the playing, the whole package. Well, almost; his lyrics betray his youth, but hey, he's got more time to mature before he hits 25 than anyone since Stevie Wonder. The comparisons with John Mayer will be inevitable; if you like Mayer's stuff, you will like this just as well.
