This debut CD from the New Orleans band Old Riley & the Water, features Sean Riley on guitar & vocals, Ray Micarelli – Drums, Andrew Landry – Bass, Scott Craver – harmonica & Joshua Cook – guitar & vocals. The CD consists of 7 cuts – 6 originals (written by Cook & Riley) and one Howlin’ Wolf song – Howlin’ For My Darlin’. Release date was November 1, 2018.
Loved the danceability of the songs, found myself moving to the tunes as they played. The band is tight and play off each others musical talents. The vocals have that old muffled dirty mic sound, which makes you listen close to hear the words. These guys are young, but they sure are playing the tunes that attract us blues lovers!
Blues Walking, the 2nd cut, has strong Delta slide guitar featured with the traditional drum shuffle, reminding me of many of the songs of the forefathers of blues. The 3rd cut, Kind-Hearted Woman has a very catchy guitar riff, along with lyrics and tempo that rock. Try and Understand combines Texas style guitar with harmonica backing, vocals that get you singing along with them and a beat that keeps you wanting more. The song laments about wanting to be only a lover, not an old man.
All in all, the CD is a great first go and you’ll do well getting it for your own collection. Love the cover artwork too!
You can listen or purchase from: Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, Bandcamp & Google Play. More about the band can be found at:
http://facebook.com/oldrileyandthewater
~ Cora Price
Boogety Shoe Blues & Fraser Valley Blues Society