May 14th

430 words on the WIP novel.

I finally turned in my review. Since there's no danger of anyone reading it, I present it here in it's entirety. Feel free to comment.

Reckless Kelly
Bulletproof

I hate to start negative here, but I have a BIG complaint about Reckless Kelly’s debut disc for Yep Roc Records, Bulletproof. Where’s the rockin’ country cover of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man”? How did the entire Reckless Kelly team whiff on this fat pitch right down the middle of the plate? The album artwork, the success of Iron Man in theaters, the title of the CD – c’mon it’s a natural! And the marketing tie-ins would be legion.

All right, marketing possibilities are probably not a concern for this group of Texans (some by way of Idaho) when it comes to deciding which songs make the cut and which songs don’t. The truth is there are no covers of any kind on this record. Every tune was written by vocalist Willy Braun with a few assists from Robert Earl Keen, Dustin Welch, and brother Micky Braun.

Turning my attention to the songs that do appear on the disc – I can think of no better compliment than to say it’s a Reckless Kelly record. One of the qualities that has set this quintet apart over the years is their remarkable consistency. Reckless Kelly delivers a dynamic live show and – unlike many others – they have no problem capturing the same vibe and raw energy on their studio efforts.

I’ve heard my share (and yours too – trust me) of bands singing about life on the road. With a studio record titled Wicked, Twisted Road, this is hardly new ground for Reckless Kelly either. Yet somehow the band brought a fresh approach and sound to “Ragged As The Road”, the track that kicks off Bulletproof and one of the standout songs on the disc. Other highlights on the record include “You Don’t Have To Stay Forever”, “One False Move”, and “Don’t Say Goodbye”.

A personal favorite on the CD is “How Was California?”. The singer asks a friend how their trip to California (and Austin and New York City) went, though he already knows the answer. No matter how exciting the destination, when the company you can’t escape – yourself – is miserable, the outcome is predetermined.

“American Blood”, Willy Braun’s attempt at his own melodic Jerilderie Letter (a protest letter penned by the band’s namesake), is already receiving attention. The song takes the viewpoint of one soldier’s journey through Iraq, and questions – legitimately, in this reviewer’s opinion – the sacrifice of the many for the profits of the few. Willy has already written a disclaimer that appears on the band’s website. Unfortunate that he feels it’s necessary, but such are the times in which we live. With a brother who has been through two tours in Afghanistan and three tours in Iraq and no guarantees he won’t be back for more, I can appreciate the song on a couple of levels – one for the message, but also because it’s a great tune. If it were a throwaway I doubt it would be generating as much interest, but as it stands, this is a song that you’ll hear more than once on the radio this summer.

The one misfire on the record is “God Forsaken Town”, an acoustic ode to New Orleans and the victims of Hurricane Katrina. While the band saved themselves from cliché on the aforementioned “Ragged As The Road” they fell short of the mark on this one, despite the excellent work of Ephraim Owens on trumpet.

Longtime record executive Bill Straw once told me that solo artists come and go every day, but when you find a great band, then you really have something. Experience has shown me the truth of this statement. When the right group of musicians comes together, something magical happens – a whole emerges far greater than the sum of the individual parts. Bulletproof captures just that. The disc documents a great band still on an upward swing. As far as that “Iron Man” cover goes – I can wait for the next live album.