Kyle Cox
The Plan, the Mess
self-released
★★★ (out of 5 stars)
Although not necessarily up front, Kyle Cox has been active and keeping good company in the Orlando music scene. Now, after years of service as lead guitarist for Poverty Branch and fill-in for bands like Mike Dunn & the Kings of New England and Gasoline Heart, he’s finally stepping out with his own material. Recorded with Avett Brothers drummer Mike Marsh, this debut LP is a sturdy, competent exercise in country-leaning singer-songwriter vulnerability. When not colored with rich, curling, rustic hues, Cox’s straightforward and clean melodic tendencies can get a little too beige and square. But when dressed right as in songs like Mellencamp-esque rocker “I Ain’t Been Lonely, Until I Met You,” country duet “Honey, Let’s Run Away,” interstate strummer “Sometimes You Know” and the twangy recline of “Never Looking Back,” his sound is immediately presentable.
