Kevin Hambrick is a Fort Wayne music legend. 

Along with bands like Thunderhawk; Vandolah; I, Wombat; and House of Bread, Hambrick defined the indie rock music scene in The Fort throughout most of the 2000s and well into the 2010s. 

Either via his passion project Orange Opera (Land of Tall, Year of the Beard) or solo work (Turtle Wagon, Clitter & The Clatter), Hambrick makes sunny, jangly pop rock in the vein of Robyn Hitchcock, The Raspberries, and Big Star, as well as The Clean and Dr. Dog.

Over more than 20 years, Hambrick’s melancholy jangle rock has been the high standard for others to aim. Few ever reach his pristine songwriting and do-it-yourself approach, and for good reason. Hambrick is just that good.

For his latest project, the Fort Wayne songwriter is mining the past for sonic gold. 

Refill, Part 1 is a collection of tracks recorded between 2004 and 2014. It offers unreleased songs, B-sides, demos, and the like, songs left in folders and on CD-Rs. Since this is Hambrick, these aren’t throwaways. These top-tier pop rock treasures. And with this being part one of a two-album set, we’re just getting started.

What we have here are amazing jangle rock treasures like opener “Evening of Delight” with an almost dreamy feel. Hambrick’s vocals are layered and harmonizing beautifully with his signature guitar jangle leading the way. 

There’s the old-timey “Mr. Buttons” complete with AM-radio fuzz and just the right amount of twang. “Blank Space” is downright haunting in its simplicity and hushed vocals. 

“Look at the Night” sounds like some lost Big Star rocker, toeing the line between the ’60s and early ’70s.

There’s not a lag at all on Refill, Part 1. From the Dead-meets-Little Feat fun of “Dead on the Bullseye” to the guitar buzz of “Losing Sleep” to the falsetto vocals of album closer “Black and Blue,” Hambrick shines.

Refill, Part 1 is a stunning collection of “leftovers” from one of The Fort’s premier songsmiths. Even Hambrick’s B-sides are most other artists’ A-side singles. 

So get out there and grab Refill, Part 1, and get ready for Refill, Part 2 coming soon.