Kevin Cahoon and Ghetto Cowboy- Doll

ARTIST: Kevin Cahoon and Ghetto Cowboy

ALBUM: Doll

LABEL: Anchor C Records

REVIEWER: Matthew J.

DATE: 8-11-07

Kevin Cahoon has starred in such Broadway productions as Hedwig and the Angry Inch and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and he puts his experience in glamour, rock, and androgyny to good use on his debut album. Backed by the heavily glam-inspired rock 'n' roll of his band, Ghetto Cowboy, Cahoon struts like Johnathan Rhys-Myers in Velvet Goldmine and the croons like Placebo's Brian Molko. This is about as far from the self-pitying sludge of the current alternative scene as you can get; if you like the flash and fun of '70s bands like The New York Dolls and The Sweet, you'll love the big guitars of "Saved by the Beauty" and bouncy, bluesy pianos of the unlikely cover of Anne Murray's "Could I Have This Dance." If, on the other hand, it's glam rock's ambiguous sexuality that turns you on, you'll no doubt get a kick out of Cahoon's archly delivered refrain of "What your girlfriend gonna do" on the slyly seductive "Mr. Curious." It's not all fun and games, though; title track "Doll" is a surprisingly touching reflection on coming of age as an outsider, and "Star Ballad" is full of wistful longing, if a little overly derivative of David Bowie. A mostly joyful blast of retro glitter, this album will bring out your inner Ziggy Stardust, so step into your platforms, fix your lipstick, and turn up the volume. Visit Kevin Cahoon at www.kevincahoon.com for sample tracks.