(Slash/Reprise)
They're still here, ten years later, creating solid, soulful records that should be making AAA radio programmers do cartwheels. So why is it that their only glimpse of the "big time" has come from the use of their song "Closer To Free" as the anthem from the television show Party Of Five? And unlike the Rembrandts, they can't even maximize their opportunity - after all, the show is on FOX, not NBC.
No matter - despite lackluster sales, club tours and sporadic praise, Sammy Llanas and Kurt Neumann have forged ahead, mining the vein they know best. Somehow two vocalists who individually would be unspectacular twist their voices into a well-oiled and irresistible harmony; Llanas' rasp smoothed out by Neuman's silk. Think Everly Brothers with a Jason And The Scorchers edge, or a Springsteen lead with a Little Stevie who can hang with him all the way through.
Blend incorporates New Orleans rhythms and instrumentation to fill out its sound. "Heart Of A Miracle" could have been plucked off a Willy DeVille record (speaking of under-appreciated artists), and "Red Roses" is that slow dance with a lover on a second floor balcony. When they rock, like "Count On Me", it's more akin to the sound of the Long Ryders or even Mellencamp than 1-4-5 rock (again thanks to brushes and toms for a backbeat instead of the Big Drum Sound). Other standouts include "Hurt By Love" and "Hey Pretty Girl", a song that Springsteen would have killed to record for The River.
Someone must like them - they still have a record deal in an age where record execs are preaching corporate liposuction. And they're still making very good music, despite the fact that there doesn't seem to be a radio format ready to embrace them. Fans will be pleased to have another release that stays true to the course. Those new to the BoDeans will find yet another quality band toiling in the shadows. Looks like a win-win situation.
