When you have a singing voice like Chad Kichula, you have a moral obligation to sing country. Unfortunately, that hasn’t always been easy for Mr. Kichula; as the owner and laborer in a forestry company located somewheres up north, Kichula’s recording schedule has often taken a back seat to his day job.
The Whale’s Back is the fourth product of Kichula’s labors, and it’s something else.
Kichula’s original tracks are the kind of high and lonesome that suit his voice perfectly. His covers of “Alone and Foresake” and “Folsom Prison Blues” are equally compelling; Kichula was born to sing country and does these greats justice. I’m listening to some of his older music as I write this review. The Whale’s Back shows us a songwriter in his prime: not only is Kichula confident on this album, you can tell he’s never been prouder of his work. It’s definitely worth it.