Kid Rock: Rebel Soul
(Rebel Soul)
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Kid Rock rose to fame in the late 1990s at a time when rap-rock seemed to dominate the airwaves. Much to the delight of sane people everywhere, the genre slowly died off and Kid Rock surpassed the rhymes-and-riffs trend to create an experimental sound that was all his own. On his ninth album Rebel Soul, Kid Rock combines country, rock, blues, soul and rap on a record that can be described as country-fried Americana seasoned with subtle hip-hop flavours. The outspoken Mitt Romney supporter gets political on 3 CATT Boogie, a bluesy instrumental with a country twang that sees him unapologetically discussing his dissatisfaction with his government. The country clichés come hard and fast on Redneck Paradise, a down-home anthem with an infectious chorus that conjures up a utopia where Confederate flags fly high and moonshine is the beverage of choice. The album takes an introspectively dark turn on The Mirror, one of Kid Rock's most emotionally telling ballads to date, which tackles self-doubt, unrequited love and painful self-reflection.
