Kenny Shore – Time Stands Still (self-release, 2022)
North Carolina-based singer-songwriter Kenny Shore released Time Stands Still last year. The album that keeps you hooked is a diverse musical journey through various genres including enthralling bluegrass, stirring soul, and energetic rock. Time Stands Still features themes that delve into heartache, loss, aspirations, and love.
Kenny was joined in the studio by a talented group of musicians including Andrew Marlin on mandolin; Isaac Derr on bass and guitar; Joseph Terrell on guitar and lap steel; Jerry Brown, who produced the album, on banjo; Robert Sledge on bass; Rob Ladd on drums; Joe MacPhail on piano and Hammond organ;
Danny Abrams on baritone sax; Ron Poythress and Lizzie Rose on backing vocals.
Time Stands Still is a tribute to Kenny’s musical heroes, including the late John Prine, with a nod to “Illegal Smile” in the song “Almost Like Heaven.”
As Shore recalls: “I cried the day John Prine died. I just started playing his albums and cried. This is a true story of … let’s call it a ‘dream-like state’ I experienced one night where I truly felt his presence in the room. He gave me the chorus verbatim.”
On the title track of the album “Time Stands Still”, Shore weaves his personal story into song, exploring the philosophical musings of Kurt Vonnegut and Søren Kierkegaard as he grapples with the elusive concept of time. He explains, “The lyrics for this song just flowed out of me as I was contemplating the meaning of time. Some days, I feel like the people I’ve lost are still with me, and time is a fluid, ever-changing entity.”
The album was originally intended to be an EP, but additional songwriting led to its expansion.
Kenny’s musical journey began in college, when he formed a 1950s band and performed at local clubs. After college, he started his solo career, releasing the single “Waiting for the Rain” and opening for folk singer Mike Cross. He then created the band The Dayroom Monitors in the Chapel Hill music scene in the early 1980s. By the end of the 1990s, Kenny had taken a ten-year break from writing but returned in 2001 with his album One Breath at a Time. He has since been crafting his unique blend of musical traditions, referred to as “psychopop folkabilly.”
Buy Time Stands Still.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.