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When I was in high school I went to a youth group that had booked Kepano Green to play.  I had never heard of them then, but there was a solid chunk of kids there who were ecstatic to see them play.  All this to say, I was given a shirt that night that said "Kepano Green" on it's right breast and "STAFF" on it's back.   Though I still have the shirt, the night wasn't particularly memorable and neither is this c.d. 

This album is gentle, acoustic pop.  It starts with a nice song straight from the Psalms  titled, "He Restores My Soul," that is not bad in any sense, but does not demand my  attention or hold my mind past its passing.  Some things you'll notice right away about  this duo are their tight harmonies and sugary melodies.  There is no arguing the  cohesiveness of their songwriting, but many of the songs fall into well played cliche.   Probably the worst offender is track 2, "Fall," with a predictable, overused chord progression and lyrics like, "There's a new wind blowing open a door." 

There are a few stand out tracks on Valley Drive.  The one that stands out most is "Hollywood Angel," with the strongest lyrics on the album, telling a story about a girl moving out west to pursue her dreams.  This song and a few others are worthy of including on a mix to drive to, or to lounge on a couch next to a girl (or boy?) that you may or may not like...

In conclusion, they are certainly tight and experienced musicians, but a bit predictable.   I will now ruin the tock system by giving it a  over 5 for tightness and a  over 5 for  progressiveness.  Oh, and a  over 5 for having a staff shirt in my closet. 

Elijah Wyman 05/12/2005