Composer and multi-instrumentalist Kenneth Cookson has been playing/composing music for over 30 years, and doing so since attending a specialized vocational high school in Alberta, Canada (where his studies focused on orchestral music and commercial art). With paralleling interests in music and graphic design, Cookson ultimately decided to go the more pragmatic route – the one that “pays the rent” – and committed to commercial art, becoming a full-time graphic designer and art director. Thankfully, that decision wasn’t non-negotiable.
Cookson’s love of music persisted, and now, after 30 years of composing, and after assuming the moniker New Rival, he presents his recorded works to the world. Case in point: My Urban Condition is his latest collection, and in this review, you’ll wonder why Cookson waited so long. Let’s talk about it.
Wait. Who does what?
Cookson, an aforementioned multi-instrumentalist, does it all himself, tackling guitars, bass, and synths.
Can you categorize it?
New Rival concocts a modern, eclectic brew of rock, jazz, soul, electronica, and a little R&B.
What’s it about?
My Urban Condition represents, musically, the everyday struggles of urban city life.
Hitting the album highlights:
Album opener “Stroke of Luck” begins with some pulsing electronica, and then moves into rich piano chords, airy passages, and metallic percussion. Electric guitar adds a dramatic edge, and the song’s foundation continues beneath darting, accenting piano.
Eponymous track “Urban Condition” starts with bending digital chimes – like the beeping, flashing signals of an intuitive control panel – over dance-friendly percussion. Voices join the ensemble, along with whisking and warm synth pads. This one definitely has a stronger electronica feel, but anchored by dalliances in new age music.
Track #4, “You Get Me, I Get You,” starts with an electronic hi-hat; it’s joined by a muted kick drum, staccato electric guitar, and a waterfall of heavenly voices elevating moments between the beat.
Track #6, “Now I See,” begins with a wavering organ introducing a world beat. With chugging guitar, it initially implies a darker edge, but it backs off a bit, allowing room for jazzy piano phrasing. As the song progresses, that wavering organ returns in a lower register, accompanied by soulful vocal improvisation.
“Just Kidding” is a more discernible jazz/rock affair, with a steady beat, consistent piano, and midrange electric guitar flourishes. It seems lighter, but develops teeth while progressing.
Track #10, “Mechanical Me,” starts with a bit of soul, and jumps to perhaps the album’s most energetic, aggressive guitar playing. This is excellent layered rock that might lean a bit on Santana. Great track, and my personal favorite.
Album closer “Possessed” launches immediately into higher gear with icy strings, a wavering organ, and spacey, bending guitar. It’s a persistent and layered wall of sound that subsides occasionally, allowing a groovy synth-bass to offer a grounding rumble. “Possessed” is a shorter song, but the glistening layers – a convergence of mythology, humanity, and technology – makes this track stunning, uplifting, and… my second-favorite entry.
But…is it good?
My Urban Condition speaks to the struggles of modern city life, and I hear that ode to technology, industry, and a conditioned clockwork humanity in the album’s mechanical leanings. But with the injection of digital choruses and very human playing, I have to say the album touches on the spiritual condition, and the yearning to be above sadness, tragedy, or lives of safe repetition and cold automation. My Urban Condition effectively tells the tale of cities now, and where they want to be – and the ride is immersive, emotional, reactive, and hopeful. Recommended, and I really think you should check out the rest of New Rival’s newly available catalog.
BELOW: Listen to New Rival and check him out on Spotify, YouTube, and Facebook. Please support New Rival by visiting his website, and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing his music. And, as always, thank you for supporting real music.
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