MP3 REVIEW: Ian McKinney “American Hunk II”

Ian McKinney “American Hunk II”

                The odd thing about “American Hunk II” is that the title implies that there is an original out there that I missed somehow.   So I did some research after downloading this because, hey, as much as I am a perfectionist and all that, I don’t mind reviewing something that looks like a sequel before the original because sometimes there never is an original.     What I learned in my research was that Ian McKinney actually has an album on Band Camp called “Ms. Pain” which I’ve reviewed previously to this.   Not only that, but the album also happens to have a sequel called “Ms. Pain 2”, so I seemingly have the bread to the sandwich but nothing in between.  

                While reading information on Ian McKinney on Band Camp I also noticed he is from Austin (And really, who in music isn’t, right?) and so I wondered if he had anything to do with Vagina Missile Crisis because this album reminds me of them in ways, but then that became a null point because I couldn’t remember whether VMC was from Austin or Houston and I believe I decided on Houston and let it go.

                Musically, Ian McKinney goes from sounding like keyboard programmed based music to The Illegal Wiretaps to Red Hot Chili Peppers (Only for a little bit though, not full on), Cake and Beck.   Given my earlier comparison to Vagina Missile Crisis I must also feel obligated to throw out a standard comparison to Devo.  

                Lyrically these songs go from being about a robot dog to being about a rebound and being proud of it.   I’m not really sure if someone should be proud of being a rebound (And not in the Martin Lawrence movie way) or if it reminds me too much of that Dane Cook movie “Good Luck Chuck”, but either way, I like the song in spite of the lyrics being a bit too much for me to handle.    In fact, most of the lyrics are delivered in a way much like that of a band such as Future of the Left.    The only song I really don’t like at all is the one about Dave Matthews and that’s probably just because I’ve never liked Dave Matthews.   Ever.   None of his music. 

                So if we can all collectively come together and pretend like the Dave Matthews Band song does not exist and never did, then this is actually a rather exceptional album.   I will now go through and listen to those albums of his that I have somehow seemed to miss.