After the Portland folk-rock band The Hill Dogs called it quits in 2017, it didn’t take long for frontman and singer/songwriter Taylor Kingman to start a new project with a self-described “psychedelic doom boogie” sound. TK and The Holy Know Nothings includes a number of Portland’s Americana scene mainstays like: drummer Tyler Thompson (Fruition), and multi-instrumentalists Jay Cobb Anderson (Fruition), Lewi Longmire, and Sydney Nash (Shook Twins), and their debut release, Arguably OK, is a twangy set of Americana about dead ends, addiction, self-sabotaged relationships, and questionable drug experiences. Kingman’s tightly crafted songwriting and polished arrangements employ a combination of paradoxical juxtapositions, self-deprecating humor, unapologetic honesty, cleverness, and at times tenderness, with each song taking you somewhere unexpected. Album highlights include: the fuzzed-out country barn burner “Emmanuel”; the rollicking “Hard Times”; the smoldering two-stepper “Desert Rose”; the twangy rocker “Lord, Why’d Ya Make Me?”; the catchy live jam “Good Stuff”; and the rambling country rocker “Tunnel of a Dream.” Arguably OK by TK and The Holy Know Nothings is an excellent release and will be on heavy rotation at Record Dept. throughout the rest of the year. This is another band that puts on a killer live performances, so be sure to catch them live! – Written by JFelton
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