Reckless Kelly
Wicked Twisted Road
Sugar Hill – 3992
visit the band's website
and on myspace
also available on amazon
Country and Rock with a bit of Irish roots thrown in the mix, this straight-ahead disc takes the band on a full circuit. There is country segueing into country rock into Southern Rock, a short jump to some Irish roots and back again to the original country sound. This is an aptly named disc for this rapidly emerging Texas band, for their road has many sinuous curves that needed to be negotiated, and this is a reflection of their musical path.
This five piece group is comprised of David Abeyta on all manner of guitars; Cody Braun on fiddle, acoustic and electric mandolins, back up vocals, and harmonica; his brother Willy on lead vocals, acoustic, electric, and high strung guitars, percussion, harmonica, piano, and mellotron; Jay Naz on drums and percussion and Jimmy Jam McFeeley on bass. There are a few guests that add some texture and back up vocals, however this is the basic unit. The handle the material, no-matter the genre, with a clarity that sometimes is lost in bands that tend to switch about. They also do it without sounding like they are all over the place. This is probably due to the fact that various members of the band in different combinations, or an assortment of members of
the Braun family has written all the songs. The songs have that feel of the singer/songwriter or experience that has been hard earned, in other words an honesty. Whether the band is in the quieter more country/folk feel of “Wicked Twisted Road,” or the definitely more raucous and hard charging rock and roll mode of “Sixgun,” its commitment to the music doesn’t hold back (by the way some great fiddle and guitar interplay on the later cut). There are a number of highlights on the disc and it just depends on whether you are in the mood for the Southern Rock of “Wretched Again,” or maybe you’re getting away from the predominate electrified folk rock and want a good dosage of a drunken Irish tune as in “Seven Night In Ireland.” This disc doesn’t hold back for anyone or thing, and is a great blending of country and rock and roll that is now being called roots music.