Mescalito

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-07-20 rating:
Fine Fare From New Mexico
Karma ? Yin and Yang ? Synchronicity ? Who Know's.

What I do know for sure, however, is that having spent
a couple of painfully wasted hours listening to Santogold's execrable
debut album I was very ready for some honest musical sustenance.

I found it here In Ryan Bingham's most recent album 'Mescalito'.

Comparisons abound but try to put them to one side.
Let's listen to Mr Bingham on his own evident merits.

Somehow honesty and authenticity shines through in all
music of worth and this is indeed a very worthy little album.

The grit and gravel in our hero's voice serves his material well.
Whether in slippin' and slidin' stompers such as 'Bread and Water'
and "Dollar A Day', or in more tender reflective songs such as
'Don't Wait For Me', 'For What It's Worth' and the beautiful 'Ever Wonder Why'.

Mr Ford's production is four-square , lucid and subtely complementary.
A fine supporting cast augment and enhance the arrangements without
the need for superfluous frills and trills.
Mr Schaub's guitar and mandolin are a particular joy.

A very impressive and enjoyable debut.

I'm already looking forward to the next installment.

Highly Recommended.

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review by: date: 2008-07-09 rating:
Fabulous debut from Ryan Bingham
This is a fabulous debut album of rustic country/americana music from Ryan Bingham and his band. Ryans voice is dry and gruff and this is authentic american western desert electric blues music - you can almost taste the heat and dust in Ryans voice. The music sounds unlike anyone else that comes to mind - it has depth musically and lyrically. It is a long time since I have enjoyed an album as much as this. I love Southside of Heaven, Hard Times, Ghost of Travelling Jones, Sunrise and Long Way From Georgia, but find the constant hand-clapping on Bread and Water annoying - I heard this song played live on the radio without any hand-clapping and it was so much better, I hope a live version of the song is released eventually. The overall track sequence is in my mind disjointed, but then it is easy to create your own to the benefit of the whole package. The hidden track at the end isn't really a song as such, but more a statement of authenticity and brings the CD to a nice conclusion, although the gap between it and the last official track is frustrating. I really cannot wait for the next album - more of the same please.

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review by: Big Jim date: 2008-05-01 rating:
Agree with the other reviewers but with a little bit added
Not going to add greatly to what has already been said, the Steve Earle and young Dylan influences are certainly obvious but I would just like to throw John Hiatt into the mix especially on "Ghost of Travellin Jones".

One thing I don't think has been picked up on yet is the excellent musicianship throughout, with some superb pedal steel/bottleneck playing, very sweet country style violin and some thoughtful banjo picking on various tracks.

Lovely album

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review by: bigtent12 date: 2008-03-07 rating:
So good, and so young
Ryan Bingham sounds like a young Tom Waits with a Texas drawl, and I can hear musical influences from Steve Earle, Springsteen and Dylan's Nashville Skyline period. This is Country Rock with enough of a rough edge to keep it interesting all the way through. More than anything else he has achieved a sound that is distinctive. Whenever I put 'Bread and Water' on I jump around like a lunatic. The only reason it doesn't get five stars from me is because I think that his song-writing skills might still improve a bit.


review by: date: 2008-03-06 rating:
Joyous
Mescalito is the (major label) debut of Ryan Bingham a native of New Mexico, jammed full of Texas country, recorded in Nashville and Long Beach, California! When you're building on years of tradition in country, roots and rock, innovation is not really the issue. What you want to know is: is it any good and how does it sound? And the answers are: it's good - really good, and if you heard this on the radio you'd know Bingham's croaky voice right away. Sure there are hints of other writers, singers and players, but what do you expect in 2008? Bingham and his band create a joyous, footstomping noise, especially on stand out track 'Bread and Water'. Sure it's dumb. No there's not too much in the lyrics that's deep and meaningful. Sure you've heard it all before, but rarely have you heard it this good. In short, Mescalito rocks.

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