#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 

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#454 : Hurricane Ruth - Good Life

2020 – American Showplace Music

By Phillip Smith; July 18, 2020 

There’s no escaping the powerful voice and fierce style of Hurricane Ruth LaMaster in Good Life, her fifth and latest album.  Her fearless approach to singing the blues takes a backseat to none.  Produced by Ben Elliot (Savoy Brown, Leslie West, Hubert Sumlin) who sadly passed away April 5, 2020, this ten-track album comprised mostly of original songs features Scott Holt on guitar, Calvin Johnson on bass guitar, Bruce Katz on B3/keys, and Tony Braunagel on drums.

 A t-shirt I purchased from guitarist Scott Holt seven years ago at a favorite blues-hangout called Checkers Tavern in Cedar Rapids, Iowa says, “Loud is Good!”.  Loud is indeed good, and that’s the apparent mantra from the git-go with the high-energy opener “Wildfire”.  With Katz pounding the keys, and Holt ripping it up on guitar, Hurricane Ruth gives a riveting performance on the mic.  The music gets even hotter and out of control on “Dirty Blues”.  I love it.  Written by two-time Grammy winning producer Gary Nicholson, “Torn in Two” is an excellent vehicle for Ruth’s hardscrabble style.  While the band is absolutely cooking, she takes this song by the horns and wrestles it to the ground.  There’s a hard-rocking Suzi Quatro-esque vibe on “Black Sheep” which I simply adore.  This reflective ode to Ruth’s younger badass self is a definite favorite.  “Who I Am” is a killer track with lots of tasty jam.  A deep heavy pulse from Braunagel and a funky taste of keys from Katz opens the song as Ruth sings about leaving her partying days behind.

Hurricane Ruth packs a fistful of gusto into Good Life, delivering yet another rock-solid record of blues.  It’s definitely an album which I will keep in rotation for a while.     

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For more information about the artist, visit this website : hurricaneruth.com

 

 

#381 : Nick Schnebelen - Crazy All By Myself

2019 – Vizztone

By Phillip Smith; Mar. 16, 2019

I’ve been a fan of Nick Schnebelen since reviewing Trampled Under Foot’s 2011 release Wrong Side of the Blues for Blues Revue Magazine’s online zine BluesWax.  I remember being in such awe of great talent when I saw the band perform live at Riverside Casino in 2012.  Schnebelen’s Live in Kansas City album, released in 2017, was outstanding, and this brand-new record Crazy All By Myself is absolutely terrific.  Producer/drummer Tony Braunagel (Taj Mahal, Robert Cray), along with heavy hitters, organist/pianist Mike Finnigan and bassist Hutch Hutchinson form one hell of a rhythm section.

I love the groove Braunagel and bassist Reggie McBride pour over “It Ain’t Me”. Smooth and intoxicating, it washes over me, like a fine bourbon.  Hearing Schnebelen let loose on guitar is pure joy.  Finnigan absolutely cooks on piano for “Ain’t Got Time For the Blues”.  The song is a massive dose of adrenalized blues with more stellar guitar from Nick.  Another song that grabs my full attention is “Alter of Love” which happens to feature one my favorite harp players, Jason Ricci.  This is one positively fabulous.

Schnebelen breaks out some wonderfully delicious slide guitar as he expresses his fondness for Harley Davidsons in the double-entendre loaded bike song “I’m a Fat Boy”.  With “Soul Magic”, the lovely Heather Newman appears on backing vocals, as Nick reveals his prowess as an R&B singer.  “Holding On”, beautifully performed and featuring the great Davy Knowles on guitar, is another favorite. 

Focused and fierce, Schnebelen has taken his music up another notch. Crazy All By Myself is definitely a record for blues fans to take notice of.

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For more information about the artist, visit the website :  www.nickschnebelenkc.com .