Kingsley Flood: To The Fire

Custom-built for the radio station that plays everything from The Beach Boys to The Blasters, Kingsley Flood’s new five-songer is a big, thick, glossy glob of pop and roll—full of boastful horns, textural strings, declamatory lyrics and no small amount of New Wave attitude. “Thick Of It” smacks of early Oasis (without the inherent snarkiness); “All In All” matches Big Star twang with Joe Jackson keys; “Set Me Off” is one of those steering-wheel pounders that sounds like the soundtrack to a Verizon commercial. The ballads are the most original: “Anything Could Happen” is an especially strong cut with nice vocal interplay. There isn’t anything particularly original here, but it’s an admirable quickie from a reputable band with the chops for a long, fruitful career.