Ronny Tibbs “Lone Fry”
Detroit singer-songwriter Ronny Tibbs charms you right away on “30-Year-Old Boy,” a fully orchestrated slice of perfect piano pop along the lines of Nilsson, McCartney, and Brian Wilson. Then “All She Wrote” starts quiet and grows into a rich guitar theme. He then takes an abrupt turn into synth-pop with “Sunlight,” not a bad song but it does throw the momentum off.
“Watching Annie Over” gets a little glammy, before the great mid-tempo “Mona Lisa” with its layered strings, rich piano chords, and detailed flourishes. It takes another Sparks-like detour before we get to the Wilco-like “Picture of Us,” and Tibbs strained vocal here helping build the story’s authenticity. The final tracks “Black Party Girl” and “Breakout” are good, but fail to reach the earlier highs on the album. Overall, a really good debut. And you should pay attention to Mr. Tibbs. He’s a star waiting to burst out any moment now.
Luther Russell “Medium Cool”
L.A. musician Luther Russell is not a big-time rock star, but he should be. He’s been played with Jakob Dylan (before he joined the Wallflowers) and was in several bands; The Freewheelers, Federale, and The Relationship. He most recently collaborated with Big Star drummer Jody Stephens on Those Pretty Wrongs. And he certainly has absorbed The Big Star sound into his new solo LP Medium Cool.
The opener “Deep Feelings” has a great bass line, and the opening guitar riffs recall Chris Bell’s technique perfectly. The R&B chugging “Can’t Be Sad” is like a lost Elvis Costello hit and one of the stronger songs here. Often the songs go long, with extended guitar jams, which linger in your head. Both “The Sound of Rock and Roll” and “Corvette Summer” are iconic rock themes that sound great. However, it fails to keep the momentum fresh on the albums second half, and things start to get too familiar. “Sad Lady” is a rare standout that sounds like Bruce Springsteen joined Big Star. Overall, some great music here to explore. Check it out.
