KC's third cd is a full band production, with steel and electric slide, standup bass, drums, and fine harmonies, even some soprano sax and mandolin. He's picked his faves from the first two cds and given them full treatment, along with a batch of great new tunes. From the almost bluegrassy Going Up the Road, to a jazzy Old Fashioned Romance, a funky Sarah Jane to the bluesy You Just Startin', it may seem all over the map, but it's all the same map. The twin slides are a treat, and the vocal arrangements are sweet. Driftwood Review August 2009 Wild Card contains 12 original songs. The first track, Going Up the Road, is a catchy opening number with some stellar back-up vocals supplied by Sandra Profitt. This is a feel-good tune that also serves to introduce Kelly as a capable and talented blues musician. The album contains a mixture of song styles and sounds. Numbers like Big Bam Boom are true country jams that weave an amusing yarn, while in Hit Parade there is a darker sound, one that differs greatly from the rest of the album. In Surprise, Kelly's country-blues voice hits a lower register which is where his vocals are strongest and most interesting. But where Kelly truly shines is in his standard blues tunes like Old Fashioned Romance, my favourite piece on the album. In this number the vocals are clear and prevalent, there is a true bluesy vibe and Dave Rowse adds some texture on sax. "I'm her mister, she's my missus/," Kelly drawls, "Whisper sweet nothings, she give me kisses/, Old fashioned romance, doing that sweet dance again." In Miss Virginia, another memorable tune (again with great back-up vocals), Kelly sings "I come back to a cold empty shack/, Lights are blown and there's nobody home/, Miss Virginia, what got in ya/. Why you running away." Playing National steel guitar, electric slide, and acoustic guitar, as well as bass and drums, KC Kelly has his hands full on Wild Card, alongside Profitt on back-up vocals and Dave Roland on standup bass. All in all, this is a great little album that will keep your toes a tapping and put a smile on your face. Meghan Howcroft