The country rocker opens with a riff that splits the difference between the Cars and ZZ Top, and as Kid Rock steers his big ol' pick-up through a small town, he starts reminiscing about his first crush in a craggy voice recalling Bob Seger. Name-checking Tom Petty in the chorus, Rock goes on to relive all the endearing trappings of youth — chain smoking on the tailgate, breaking up just to make up — while his past self cruises Main Street, sips beer in front of a bonfire and plants a big one on his girl's lips.
First Kiss follows up Kid Rock's 2012 effort, Rebel Soul — which he trashed during a recent chat with Rolling Stone — and marks his first with new label Warner Bros. A massive summer tour with his Twisted Brown Trucker Band is also in the works.
Recorded with Austin outfit Band of Heathers, Rock told Rolling Stone that First Kiss further highlights his penchant for country music. The LP features a sparse, church organ-led homage to Hank Williams Jr. ("Jesus and Bocephus"), as well as a track dedicated to the marriage of Johnny and June Carter Cash, simply titled "Johnny Cash." Not that he still ain't the same guy who wiped his butt with Radiohead toilet paper; on album cut "Good Times and Cheap Wine," Rock calls out Coldplay, Coachella, social media and hipsters.
"I'm fucking old," Rock said. "I'm not going to fit in, I'm fucking fine with that, I don't fucking understand the Internet or Coachella or any shit. And I just can't fucking try to pretend like I know. I like good times, cheap wine and back-beat rock & roll."
