Melodic and gruff,
Kevin Bowe & the Okemeh Prophets'
Restoration occupies a muscular, roots rockin' midland between
the Replacements and
Steve Forbert. This might seem like a typical accusation -- or one that borders on hyperbole -- but
Kevin Bowe is a top-notch tunesmith. He has placed songs on major-label efforts by artists such as
Jonny Lang and
Kenny Wayne Shepherd and was even signed as a writer by
Leiber & Stoller -- a duo who knows a thing or two about songwriters. This is the kind of album that a lot of Midwestern roots rock bands have been trying to make ever since that glorious Minneapolis explosion of the mid- to late '80s, which fostered such groups as
the Jayhawks,
Soul Asylum, and the aforementioned
Replacements. A few efforts have come close to that high watermark, and
Restoration is one of them. The opener, "Sault St. Marie," sails on the back of
Bowe's hoarse pipes (which simultaneously channel
Forbert and
Rick Danko), big guitars, and a hook that will give you chicken skin. And that pretty much sets the tone for the album, which is full of alternately jagged and ringing guitars and
Bowe's tuneful writing chops. Other highlights include "The Horible Truth About Anne," "Sweeter World," and "Sadly Mistaken."