These days, when someone asks, "what style of music does this band play", saying "straight-forward rock n' roll" will result in a blank stare reaction like you just asked them a calculus question. No one plays real rock n' roll anymore, right? There's got to be some rock sub-genre attached, like scream-o, or alternative, or nu-metal, or so on and so on.... Believe it or not, there are still bands that make a living playing radio friendly, "good-ole" rock n' roll like, THREE DOORS DOWN, SAVING ABEL, and PUDDLE OF MUDD among others, but these good ones are few and far between. So when I tell you that KIRRA plays really good, straight-up rock n' roll, that's exactly what they do, as evident on their new EP, "Sounds From an Empty Room".

Hailing from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, KIRRA is a really tight four-piece rock band that has their eye on the future by putting out solid rock music and playing live as often as they can. Consisting of Jesse Williamson (vocals), Daxton Page (guitar), Ryne McNeill (bass), and Zach Stafford (drums), KIRRA have honed their skills at a very young age and will continue to grow as musicians and get incrementally more seasoned with each passing live show they play. (Jesse is 22, Daxton is 18, Ryne is 22 and Zach is 17)

Upon first listen of their new independently released, four-song EP, "Sounds From an Empty Room", I immediately thought of CANDLEBOX. Really smooth, catchy stuff that I kept turning up until someone yelled at me to "TURN IT DOWN"!!! Their song writing ability is strong and all four guys are really good musicians. I've got to tell you, I was shocked that I liked it so much on the first listen. Usually, it takes a couple of full plays before I can really get into something, but this one sunk in from the get go. KIRRA plays the kind of music that will instantly change your mood and have you sitting back listening like there is nothing else going on at that moment. If you like CANDLEBOX as much as I do, or STAIND, or Three Doors Down, you will love this record. I even heard a little bit of a NIRVANA influence in their sound that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It's rare to hear such a young band sound so good on a debut release. One that comes to mind is SILVERCHAIR when they released "Frogstomp" back in 1995. That's pretty good company. The only problem with "Sounds From an Empty Room" is that there are only four tracks and I was left wanting more. (That's a good problem to have, right?) These four songs will have to hold you over until they get a full-length album out, so just roll your windows down, turn it up loud, and drive.

I truly believe that the music industry needs young bands like KIRRA to emerge on the scene and become the face of the future for the rock n' roll genre. With this band being so young, it's almost scary to think about where they could be in 5 years. But don't wait until then; get "Sounds From an Empty Room" as soon as possible.