Album Reviews

Album Reviews: In the City by Kevin Rudolf

Kevin Rudolf doesn't play your daddy's rock n' roll. He doesn't play your older brother's rap rock either. Instead, on his debut In the City, the A-list session guitarist and producer kicks out the jams like only a 21st century musical maverick could. Yes, there are elements of rap and rock, but this isn't Shop Boyz '08 or Bizkit 3.0. Rudolf has an edge that's more evocative of classic rock than anything else, and he smoothes out that edge with an electric pop sensibility—no doubt seasoned from working with the likes of Timbaland and Britney Spears. The boy can craft a hook, and that's what makes In the City so much fun.

Rudolf never tries to rap either. He calls in help from the professionals for that. On the first single, "Let It Rock," Lil Wayne lights up Rudolf's riffs with a sublime, extra-terrestrial rap about sex, drugs and rock n' roll. These days, Weezy knows those three immortal subjects better than anyone, and he brings the song to the level of pure pop gold. Matching Wayne, Rudolf's vocal hook is sexy and bombastic. Sounding like a more gruff Perry Farrell, his voice sails over the distorted industrial rock din, and he and Weezy emerge like prizefighters after a victorious 12th round. Rick Ross pops up on "Welcome to the World," and Nas gives "NYC" some serious street cred so Rudolf never even needs to try and MC.

The title track's got enough Danny Lohner-style distortion to fuel any Pretty Hate Machine, and the slower fare like "I Song" proves that Rudolf's got a diverse set of pipes in addition to an arsenal of catchy acoustic melodies. Elsewhere, '80s-style electronics take over "Livin It Up," making for quite a tasty compilation. At the end of the day, this City rocks.

—Rick Florino
12.01.08