 |
|
 |
|
The Rainravens
Garden Rocket release
Six years after their last studio album, One Last Saturday Night, the Rainravens from Austin, Texas have emerged from the recording studio with their long anticipated album of all new material.
From 1996 to 2001, the four piece band released four CDs and belonged to the crme of the Country/Rock/Pop/Roots Pop genre in Texas and far beyond. Especially in Europe, bandleader Andy Van Dyke, drummer/producer Herb Belofsky and their cohorts enjoyed the greatest popularity. The new album, Garden Rocket, offers 12 multilayered titles which connect seamlessly to the golden era. A well crafted, melodic, rocking pop sound with first rate songs and soulful harmonies is the basis from which the Rainravens undertake their far-reaching excursions into Country Rock, Roots, Texas Folk, and some Rockabilly and Cajun.
|
|
GO AHEAD was was on tour with
The Rainravens
in October 2007.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rainravens front man Andy Van Dyke, the author of all the songs on Garden Rocket, takes center stage throughout the album with his slightly raspy, versatile, immensely expressive, attractive voice reminiscent of Steve Forbert, Jackson Browne, Neal Casal and Glen Frey. He also plays acoustic and electric guitars and occasionally blows some harp. His old friend David Ducharme-Jones, who founded the band with him in the mid nineties and who contributed greatly to the two classic records Rainravens and Diamond Blur before he left the band to pursue other musical interests, is back on board and plays various guitars and keyboards and adds excellent vocal harmonies. A new rhythm section comprised of Rich Stanmyre on bass and Michael Kopp on drums completes the quartet. Original drummer and founding member Herb Belofsky left the band and currently plays drums for Dale Watson & his Lone Stars. Garden Rockets acoustic opener Good Luck Charm, with old friend Ron Knuth on fiddle, immediately seduces with the familiar Rainravens ease. After that, Earth Rolls Over simulates the best possible result of Neil Young meets the Eagles, before they go really earthy with Ruby. With harp, slide guitar and pounding rhythm, the track is in the vein of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils. Highway Prayer is exactly that, and Dragonfly captivates with a laid back groove, engaged vocals and a cheeky slide, while A Beautiful One offers storyteller pop of the first order. |
|
|
|
|
|
On One with Everything they show off true mean old electric riff rock and the slow You Cant Live There takes its time unfolding to arrive at the really brilliant chorus. We readily forgive that the riff to Wish You Were Here is borrowed from Neil Youngs Out on the Weekend, especially since the following folksy acoustic back porch slide & roots footstomper Hole in My Pocket, including a barking dog, brings smiles to our faces. Pure Americana entertainment also comes from the sweeping ballad All Sevens Day 6:45 filled with melodic sound, color splashes of electric lead guitar over organ painted in broad strokes, and a chorus that feels like a tribute to Poco/Eagles/America.
With Sleep Through the Night you have another lush ballad to enjoy, leading up to the colorful conclusion with the lavish New Orleans/brass band ambience of Highway Prayer Revisited. With all it has going for it, Garden Rocket makes its case for being as the best Rainravens album yet!
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
