PhillyCheeze's Rock & Blues Reviews: Go-go Ray

Saturday, January 27, 2024

#657 : Danielle Nicole - The Love You Bleed (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

2024 – Forty Below Records

By Phillip Smith; Jan. 27, 2024

Release Date : Jan. 26, 2024

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

Nearly six years have passed since Danielle Nicole released her Grammy Nominated Cry No More album. Produced by Tony Braunagel, The Love You Bleed is Danielle’s third studio album as a solo artist. It most certainly makes for a brilliant return and is an absolutely amazing listen from start to finish. The songs she writes are heart-felt and filled with true grit. They are then sung with a fearless grace. With Danielle on vocals and bass guitar, she is joined by her husband Brandon Miller on guitars and mandolin, and Go-Go Ray on drums. Braunagel appears on percussion, with Stevie Blacke on strings.

My heart melts from the opening words sung on “Right By Your Side”. Danielle’s angelic vocals take top billing on this dreamy Sixties Soul-inspired song. Arriving on an ominous hill-country blues riff, “Head Down Low” begins as a slow-cooker which Miller and Go-Go bring to a rapid, intense boil. Danielle generously pours an added fierceness on top vocally. Her performance of Trisha Yearwood’s “A Lover is Forever” is so stunning and her voice is so beautiful, I cannot help but think of Amy Winehouse. “Say You’ll Stay” intrigues me as it navigates from a retro Fifties pocket of soul into an ethereal Beatles-esque realm. It’s a very emotional song sung with a gorgeous delivery. “Fools Gold” sinks its claws in deep with an infectious rhythm, and beat-poet lyrics. Damon Parker adds a grand touch on synth, as Miller shines on slide guitar. There is no escape from the soul-wrenching “Who He Thinks You Are”. This tsunami of melancholia is a flawless gem on track for song of the year. The record ends with a breath of hope on “Young Love on the Hill”. Played on mandolin, the song is a sweet splash of Americana.

The Love You Bleed is Danielle Nicole’s best album to date and receives my highest of recommendations. It only gets better with each listen.

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For more information about the artist, visit this website : https://daniellenicolemusic.com

Follow the link below for other PhillyCheeze reviews featuring Danielle Nicole

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=Danielle+Nicole

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Samantha Fish - Live @ Campbell Steele Gallery : 3/18/16

March 18, 2016 – Marion, Iowa

By Phillip Smith; Mar 20, 2016

Friday, March 18, Samantha Fish blessed the audience at Campbell Steele Gallery in Marion, Iowa with a captivating show featuring two terrific sets of music. One couldn’t ask for a better rhythm section to back her as bassist Chris Alexander and drummer Go-go Ray. These musicians sound extraordinary together. Fish quickly grabbed everyone’s attention with a rousing execution of “Wild Heart”, which was followed up by the killer song “Show Me”. Highlighted by a stellar performance from Go-Go Ray, this one brought everyone to their feet.

Fish effortlessly commanded the stage as she ripped through “Blame it on the Moon and crowd-favorite “Runaway” on oil-can guitar and slide. Her gorgeous acoustic rendition of Charlie Patton’s blues classic “Jim Lee Blues” was outstanding and fresh. Fish also broke out a sweet cover of Junior Kimbrough’s “I’m in Love With You”. This one appears on her new album, Wild Heart.

Fish returned alone to deliver the first two songs of the second set acoustically. She played her most streamed song, “Let’s Have Some Fun”, along with a favorite of her father, Tom T. Hall’s “That’s How I Got to Memphis”. Afterward, the band proceeded to tear through a smashing “Go to Hell”, a mesmerizing “I Put a Spell on You”, and a phenomenally ripping “Bitch on the Run”. Before all was done, the band took the stage for an encore to end the evening with a fearless electric cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs”, and it was great. For this, I say “Bravo!”.

All photos by Phillip Smith