Editorial Reviews Ken’s debut full-length album contains three solid Pop songs (Maybe, Wonder, and End Credits) and two songs with an edgier Modern Rock feel to them (These Things and Analog Girl). There are some straight-ahead Rock songs (like Inside Me, Catching Up, and Leah), and some songs with a laid-back Adult Contemporary sound (Constellation, This Time). Just in case that’s not enough for you, Ken also put a Bossa Nova song (Half Step Down), a Pop-Jazz track (Anyway), a Country ballad (Silhouette), and a Neo-Classical piece (Soma) on the album. "Ken Oak is a unique artist in that he combines vintage songwriting acumen with modern pop sensibilities. His prowess for blending sounds both electronic and acoustic with expertly crafted lyrics demonstrate a level of artistic development rarely seen in today's more typical singer/songwriter." - Stephen Marsh, former chief mastering engineer at Sony Music Half Step Down features Ken’s mellow baritone voice, smooth falsetto, poetic lyrics, catchy guitar riffs, and soulful cello lines. Ken's music is often compared to that of John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Lifehouse, and Matchbox 20, but it also contains appreciative nods to other artists such as The Smiths, Oasis, and Sarah McLachlan. "Though Ken’s sound is mainly pop/rock, there is definitely a folksy touch to his songs, given the acoustic guitar and natural, naked quality of his voice. He also cleverly incorporates the cello into a number of songs … The sounds of the cello can be easily missed, but if you pay close attention to the instrumental background, you can hear its deeper, drawn-out tones and really appreciate the artistry used in blending the classical with the modern -- guitar, keyboard, bass, percussion." - review by Asia Pacific Arts
Half Step Down
Music Review:
Music Review
Fantastic Voyage With The North Wind Quintet
Die Laughing [Explicit Lyrics]
Chopblock.com (formerly Yolk Magazine) - March 14, 2005
Almost every song could conceivably be a single on mainstream radio ... refreshing contrast from other albums fattened up with filler.
Asia Pacific Arts - March 10, 2005
Ken poetically writes the lyrics ... using metaphors that make you think deeper to uncover the meaning behind the words.
Album Description
Ken Oak blends elements of pop, rock, folk, and classical into his own unique sound and style. Half Step Down features 14 original songs by Ken that have a range in styles that is rarely heard on today's commercially-released albums. "Almost every song could conceivably be a single on mainstream radio - a big credit to Oak, and a refreshing contrast from countless other albums fattened up with filler." - review by Chopblock.com (formerly Yolk Magazine)