Kwang: For What It's Worth

Kwang
For What It's Worth
Root of All Evil

The harsh guitars of glam rock on For What It's Worth remind me of the days when radios blared Aerosmith and Guns N' Roses like they were going out of style (which they were). Fortunately for fans still holding on to their favorite acid-washed jeans, Kwang are keeping razor-sharp rock 'n' roll alive.

For What It's Worth is Kwang's latest release, and their second full-length. The local group's influences are obvious—KISS, Cheap Trick, Mötley Crüe, and Van Halen, all of which seem to have been melded together and cast into a local mold on this disc. Their Minnesota pride hits home with the track "Rock and Roll! Baseball! Big Tornados!," a little shout-out to all things great in the neighborhood. The whiny-man voice and motivated beat make it a perfect mix-tape track, best for blasting out the windows of a white van.

In their press materials, Kwang promise "real" rock, which, in their case, seems to mean '70s rock. The tracks here flex between punk-inspired bangers to slow, emotional downers like "Sad Letters."

Their album is lined with relentless guitar mauling and vocals old Mr. Johnston downstairs (or next door, or two-houses-down, for that matter), won't appreciate. This band will rock you till your ears bleed—it's up to you to determine whether you find that enjoyable.