Here’s the latest installment of the mailbox submissions. Truth be told, it’s not every day a disc THIS good finds its way to the RMP mailbox.
One of the best discs to stumble across the RMP review desk is D.B. Rielly’s debut album Love Potions and Snake Oil. Armed with an accordion, attitude and enough swagger to make Dwight Yoakam blush, the disc is a potent and fierce collection of first-rate Americana.
Snappy should-be single “I Got a Girlfriend,” —- an International Songwriting Competition finalist —– has a melodic hook as strong as any the genre has seen this year. Knee-slapper “We’re All Going Straight To Hell,” is cynical, rhythmic and damn-near perfect. Similarly, the bar-room romp “Loving You Again,” and the swampy “Changed My Mind,” frolic with a swagger unlike very few currently recording. The deeply bowed “Got a Mind,” and the introspective closer “Love Me Today,” continue the trend of first-rate, radio-ready music.
Truth be told the disc has nary a clunker. Zydeco opener “One Of These Days,” is frisky and memorable, while the acoustic vulnerability of “Don’t Give Up On Me,” is prime for the streets of Nashville. The piano ballad “Save All Your Kisses,” and the deeply affecting “One Day At a Time,” display his softer side and the true timelessness of his craft.
While there’s an abundance of singer-songwriters belting away their sorrows, frustrations and hopes, chances are they won’t be nearly as refreshing as D.B. Rielly. You have my word on that.
