Oscar Wilde once noted how tragic it was that so many young men with perfect profiles "end by adopting some useful profession".
Hobey Kuhn may be an 18 year old engineering student at the University of Michigan but the signs are good that he will avoid this fate. On this remarkably accomplished solo album, made while still a senior at high school, he shows that an alternative career as decadent rock and roller awaits.
In the process he has stolen a march on all those countless Indie bands struggling to get a record out. Instead of forming his own band or waiting for a deal to come his way he has taken the bull by the horns, built a studio (with the help of his brother) and has written, recorded, mixed, played and produced everything himself.
The result is a debut album which is much more than a vanity product but is a record that impresses with its raw power and integrity.
He doesn't bother to gloss over errors but it nevertheless has a professional quality that most new bands would kill for.
Despite Hobey's origins in Nashville, there's nothing remotely Countrified about his music.
He cites influences like Spoon, Vampire Weekend and White Stripes and his Cobain-like drawl makes Grunge the most obvious point of reference. This is particularly noticeable on the first three tracks Bring It Home / The Dealers And Stealer/Heal Me and on the dirgey Output 1-2, an over-long moan about girlfriend issues.
He does add some more pop orientated variety such as with the Ska grooves of Garden (see video) or in the clutch of tracks on the second part of the album which take on a more classic rock character; more QOTSA or Foo Fighters than Nirvana in other words.
The one oddity is a tongue-in-cheek folk-pop song ,The Ballad Of The Girl And The Well, where the bouncy clap-along beat is at odds with the dark story of two kids who fall down a well ("nobody tried to save them now they're dead")
Sure, Hobey wears his influences on his sleeve but there's enough of his own personality here to raise the hopes that he will put sensible career choices on hold and prove that this is more than a one-off fluke. The day job can go hang.
