|
|
|
No DepressionThe Bimonthly Journal of Alt-Country #34 July-August 2001 RICHARD RUANEThings That Strangers SayRiptone Records The solo debut from Richard Ruane, formerly of Vermont bands Feast Or Famine and Sundog, is a collection of songs that quickly become like good friends upon first meeting. The evocative “Old Lovers”, the innocent joy of “A Heart That’s Wide Open”, the universal sentimentality of “Light Of The World”, and the hilarious honesty of “Well-Meaning Folks With Guitars” all share a common bond of life experience. Ruane is adept at the fine art of storytelling put to song, whether it’s about the down-and-out, leaving one’s homeland, or a dark encounter in a Dublin park. His originals speak to different shades of love, joy, mystery and real life; the one cover, “Crazy Man Michael”, is a well-done tribute to an obvious mentor, Richard Thompson. Ruane’s voice has a soothing quality — at times plaintive, at times mirthful, but always expressive. The accompaniments are sometimes rich, sometimes stark, but add just the right texture — in particular, Patti Casey’s backing vocals. If “folk” music as a category means acoustic, traditional, simple, personal, storylike, then this fits. But there’s more to it than that. Ruane plugs into his soul’s emotions to bring forth well-crafted songs that speak a universal language, and linger for a long time. TERRY LICKONA |
