Lee Richardson, formerly of Zen Kat, has gone out on his own. ‘Alligator Out’ is the first track under his new name Lee and the Rich Sons and what a debut single it is.
I said in my last review of Lee’s work, ‘Bones’ by Zen Kat (check it out if you haven’t already), that I couldn’t wait to see what he did next, and safe to say that anticipation paid off.
The track opens with a catchy funk-rock guitar riff which is the perfect hook to get you into this high-tempo track.
Giving the bridge section to the keys really allows them to flourish and, to me, sells a 60s surf-rock vibe and makes the song feel like it would fit comfortably in the Beach Boys back catalogue. Lee’s vocals are probably one of my favourite things on this track. They really help sell the 60’s vibe and elevate the song to a different level, making for really easy listening.
Something that I picked out from Lee’s previous work was the way he told a story through his music. ‘Alligator Out’ is no different. To me it’s a song about self confidence and being self assured. Put this song in a coming of age film and it wouldn’t feel out of place. It has that unapologetic bounciness that songs used for that genre of film always do.
Lee’s work is going from strength to strength. I was such a fan of his last song that I jumped at the chance to review this. It’s catchy and upbeat – exactly the sort of music you want as we head into these miserable autumnal months.
‘Alligator Out’, the new track from Lee and the Rich Sons is out on September 12th.
By Josh John