Keb Mo - The Reflection

Keb Mo - The Reflection
2011, Yolabelle International/Rykodisc

When you are near the peak of your profession there's little impetus to change.  This fact about humanity and human tendency is hard to ignore.  Yet evolution is essential to the artist, as inspiration and creativity thrive on the new.  No one could fault Keb Mo for sticking with what has worked for him for so long.  Having won three GRAMMY Awards for Best Contemporary Blues Album, Keb Mo has established himself as one of the Mo’st dynamic blues musicians working today.  But since his last album in 2006, Keb Mo’s life has been about transitions (new family, new hometown, new label).  It was inevitable that a new musical direction would follow.  Keb Mo recently released his newest album, The Reflection, an amalgam of all of his influences from across his career, displayed in twelve fresh and modern pop, blues and R&B songs that display the same subtlety and songwriting grace that has characterized Keb Mo’s work thus far in his illustrious career.

The Reflection opens with "The Whole Enchilada", a blend of funk, pop and R&B that shows big pop sensibility and substance.  The song is a challenge to a friend to be a stand-up man in a relationship.  The message carries a universal appeal, and is punctuated by Keb Mo’s pervasively subtle guitar work.  "Inside Outside" is a catchy funked-up bit of modern blues.  Keb Mo never seems to make a bad musical choice; never a bad note or uncomfortable transition in this amalgam of musical perfection (if such there be).  "All The Way" is a swaying R&B love song with a light, lazy feel to the melody.  Keb Mo sews it all together so nary a seam is visible.

"The Reflection" is a gentle R&B ballad that's perfect for Adult Contemporary radio.  Don't be surprised if this song breaks out both there and in pop and urban formats.  At the very least it's the sort of song that will be featured on soundtracks for romantic comedies several times over the coming years.  "Crush On You" is a solid commercial ballad that is best noted for the vocal mix between Keb' Mo and guest India.Arie.  Keb Mo goes down tempo on the blues/pop/AC blend of "My Baby's Tellin' Lies"; an amusing song about a dysfunctional relationship that works.  Just like the narrator, you won't be able to walk away from this one.  Vince Gill sits in here.  Jazz and R&B mix on the impressive story-song "My Shadow".  Keb Mo’s sound here shadows the early Jazz-phase sound of Sting, using great imagery to tell a story about how a woman can come between friends.

"We Don't Need It" starts out as a modern tragedy when a family bread-winner loses his job.  The brilliance here is in the way the family pulls together, discarding things that are unimportant for the sake of each other.  "We Don't Need It" is Mo’st impressive in that imparts a wonderful message that's poignant for the day without sounding preachy.  Perseverance and blessings abound in an amazing bit of songwriting.  "Just Lookin" is a wonderfully funky potential hit about misunderstood intentions.  Keb Mo shows incredible pop sensibility here, as well as the sort of subtle touch on guitar you might expect from Mark Knopfler.  The Reflection closes with "Something Within", a solid tune with baggage that seems somehow out of place here. 

Keb Mo might have thrown long time fans something of a curve with The Reflection, but it's a knockout curve that's impressive on many levels.  The songwriting here ranges from mildly above average to utterly brilliant, trending toward the latter.  Keb Mo’s presence as a performer comes through even on CD, and his subtle guitar work is ingenious.  Keb Mo plays the guitar as if he was born with it in his hands.  Even the few mundane moments on The Reflection are worth spending some time on, but at his best, Keb Mo performs at a level that few can attain.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Keb Mo at http://www.kebmo.com/ or www.facebook.com/kebmomusic.  The Reflection is available from Amazon.com as a CD, Download, or Deluxe Download.  iTunes also offers standard and deluxe downloads of the album. 

The Ray Renzi Project - Oldzkool

The Ray Renzi Project – Oldzkool
2011, Oldzkool Records

In an age of genre hyphens, there are acts out there that blend so many styles they make the word genre practically obsolete.  Rhode Island's The Ray Renzi Project is one such act, blending jazz, rock, blues, country, R&B, Celtic, folk and more than a little Jimmy Buffet into an ever shifting musical patois that is as unpredictable as it is appealing.  All of this is evident on The Ray Renzi Project's album Oldzkool, a solidly appealing conglomeration of anything and everything you ever could have wanted out of the pop music era.

Oldzkool opens with "As Simple As", a catchy, straightforward rocker with Americana and blues in its ancestry.  It's philosophical and mellow song of love with a philosophical bent, supported by some impressive guitar fills.  "How Strong Is My Love" is a straight-ahead rockin' blues tune that is more entertaining musically than lyrically.  Renzi and his band have an ear for catchy blues/roots based rock n roll, with nods to both Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton for style.  "Love Will Find It's Way" is a 1960's-style pop ballad with a memorable melody and a classic feel.  The song may sound a bit bland up against the material that precedes it, but is refreshing in its melodicism and pure pop sensibility. 

Renzi channels Jimmy Buffett on "A Cold Margarita" while working in references to artists such as Buffett, Alan Jackson and Bertie Higgins, amongst others.  It's a bit of kitschy fun that's part tribute and part parody, but very well played.  "Jazzette" is a brief instrumental diversion that makes the most of saxophone and guitar in a convincing jazz turn.  It's a solid change of pace that highlights the range and depth of the band.  "Come On Over" is 1950's rock/R&B with a walking bass line.  Catchy and enjoyable, the song features some of the best vocal work on the album, both in the lead and in harmonies.  "I Don't Know Why" moves forward into the mid-1960's with a roots-rocker built on a post-Beatles melodicism and a catchy beat.

Renzi goes for the heart on the Orbison-esque "So Alone Tonight", a song of sadness underscored by the mournful steel guitar that fills space between vocal lines.  Beautiful in its dark emotion and shading, the song is a time-machine moment that will bring you back to the days when artists such as Orbison were regulars on the Billboard charts.  "Flanagan's Shannon View" is a dose of pure Irish-Caribbean stew, a Jimmy Buffett-style number played with country instrumentation and deep Celtic influences, it's certainly an aural experience you won't forget.  It's actually not bad, although so many steps off the beaten path it might be something of an acquired taste.  Oldzkool goes out in a blaze of surf guitar, on the Dick Dale-styled "Surfette".  It's a solid, guitar-led instrumental rant that is so out of flow with the album it belongs.

The Ray Renzi Project has but one focus on Oldzkool, crafting original tunes inspired by some of the great artists and styles of the 1950's, 1960's and early 1970's.  The band is very competent, with Renzi solid on vocals and guitar, and the rest of the crew backing him note-for-note through an extremely varied set of songs and styles.    The Ray Renzi is the ultimate cover band playing songs you've never heard before, but which sound suspiciously familiar the first time you listen.  This is done with an amiable presence that shines through even from the recording studio; a care free attitude that could only be born of the golden age of rock n roll.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Ray Renzi on his website.  Additional information about the Oldzkool project is available here.  Oldzkool is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available on iTunes.

Wildy's World Top 60 Albums of 2010: #5

The final five...  we'll be revealing one per hour until 1:00 PM EST today.

5. Mark Knopfler – Get Lucky
What do you say about Mark Knopfler?  He's among the greatest guitarist of his own or any generation.  Get Lucky is among Knopfler's most subtle and intriguing work to date.  The fact that it doesn't place higher on this list is a tribute to some of the great music that's crossed this desk in 2010.

JP Den Tex - American Tune

JP Den Tex - American Tune
2009, Commes Les Chansons

JP Den Tex is Dutch born and sings like an Englishman, but some part of his heart has always been reserved for America. Den Tex took his own American odyssey and documented it in song on American Tune. Steeped in the deep richness of Americana, Den Tex sings and writes in the vein of Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe but finds a voice that’s uniquely his own.

American Tune opens with "The Dreamer", a solid Americana composition informed by blues, country and rock influences. Den Tex' guitar style is a mix of Knopfler's quiet intricacy and Clapton's innate mellowness. The song has a solid melody that's catchy but not ostentatious; a great opener. "Love So Helpless" is about the futility we feel at times when tragedy befalls those we love and occasionally the unseen consequences. "When I'm Down" is danceable and catchy with a chorus you'll be humming for days; truly one of the highlights of the album. "Mon Desir Noir" is a continuation of the story begun in "Love So Helpless", exploring how the shock and shame of tragedy can drive people who otherwise love each other apart. "Down And Out In Phoenix" examines the aftermath of such a relationship, where broken dreams abound and the future looks as barren as the desert that surrounds the narrator.

A new chapter opens in American Tune with "Un Amour Fou A San Francisco", a french/English take on new beginnings, new cities and new love. "Bowbow" turns out to be one of the most enjoyable turns on the album; very entertaining with a dirty blues feel. "Bowbow" is extremely catchy even if the meaning is at times opaque. Den Tex shows deep insight into the creation process with "True Art Is Lonely", portraying the striving for perfection as a solitary pursuit. "Vagabond Heart" is an acoustic, early-rock arrangement complete with doo-wop style backing vocals. Catchy and fun, it’s an ode to all of those who don't quite fit in. Answers come on "Hero" with the realization that victory often comes in the form of facing up to our own baggage, and the rewards seem to come quickly once we face ourselves. Den Tex closes with a brilliant cover of "We'll Sweep Out The Ashes", a Joyce Allsup-penned tune recorded by Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris among others. Den Tex duets with Vera van den Poel providing a unique aperture into the camaraderie of loneliness and the moments when its boundaries are shared.

JP Den Tex spins a tale of love, loss, grief and renewal on American Tune. The fall from grace is hard, but rebirth the more difficult task in a quietly competent collection of songs that won't wash over you but quietly insinuate themselves into your mind. Den Tex is a deft story-teller, changing pace and perspective enough to keep the story vibrant. In an age where concept albums have lost their luster, Den Tex offers a shining example of what's right with the form.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about JP Den Tex at http://www.jp-den-tex.com/ or www.myspace.com/jpdentex.  American Tune is available from Amazon.com as both a CD and Download.  The album is also available through iTunes.