Chip & Tony Kinman: Sounds Like Music (Omnivore, 2019)
Chip and Tony Kinman
Reviewed by Dan MacIntosh
The pair's career receives well-rounded representation on "Sounds Like Music," a single disc overview of their partnership. Some of the Blackbird tracks can be challenging for traditionalists, particularly due to the oddly affected vocals for "Me Too." Yet, Blackbird's cover of Tom Waits' "Jersey Girl" couldn't have been more straightforward. Ah, but it's so good to hear the Everly Brothers-esque vocal harmonies of Rank And File's "Amanda Ruth," presented here in an alternative version.
"Paniolo," also an alternative version, is the lone Cowboy Nation track. It shines because of its aggressive acoustic guitar strumming and slightly Tex-Mex vibe. The Dils are also only represented once, with the noisy "Folks Say Go." That leaves mostly Blackbird and Rank And File tracks filling out the collection.
Few artists straddled the line between roots rock and sonic adventurism better than Chip and Tony Kinman. "Sounds Like Music" is a happy reminder of all the wonderful music they created together. It's also a sad document of a partnership that ended far too soon with one member's death. If anything, these recordings sound like a good excuse to survey Chip and Tony Kinman's memorable collaborations together.
CDs by Chip and Tony Kinman

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