Richville - Raw (2021)

Frustrated by the largely cancellation of their tour in 2020, a studio session proved to be the perfect outlet. The excitement and urge that prevailed during the recording splashes off the album. The analog vintage studio equipment turned out to be a perfect match for the atmosphere of the music. Raw and straight to your face.

The album is very varied and each song tells its own story. The groove is unmistakable, rhythmic and intuitive. The uplifting rhythms put you in a wonderful kind of trance. This is Hill Country Blues at its best! This style is characterized by a strong emphasis on rhythm and percussion, solid guitar riffs, few chord changes, unconventional song structures and with a heavy emphasis on the “groove”, which is characterized as hypnotic boogie.

Richville is clearly inspired by those hypnotic grooves of blues artists like RL Burnside and Fred McDowell. This raw and stripped-down music is characteristic of the era when the blues made the transition from acoustic to electric. Drums and guitar, that's all you need and oh yes, of course also Richard's wonderful voice!

RAW opens in style with the rousing Gotta Let You Go, followed by Tell Me Your Name, filled with ripping guitar work, rousing drums and ditto percussion. On Lonesome Train we hear another beautiful piece of string picking. This is rightfully fingerpicking next level!

On the extremely swinging and funky First Time, Richard slides the slide around his ring finger and I like to hear him do that. It gives that little bit of extra panache.

The instrumental Lightnin' is dedicated to country blues singer and pioneer of the electric guitar, Lightnin' Hopkins. Then there is a quick switch to the solid Rescue Me, with such a blissful, razor-sharp guitar sound. The gritty All I Want is full of solid drums and a vicious guitar! Delicious! On the other hand, Right On Time is nice and lazy and relaxed and the cool groove drips off. The percussion (Cabasa) plays a leading role and the song is interspersed with a razor-sharp guitar solo. The album ends (way too soon!) With the hypnotic Running To My Baby.

You have been warned: you can't sit still with this album! Quite logical because blues music is originally dance music after all. It's all about the groove! Altogether heard many frustrations and over the past year considerably by this piece by piece authentic gems, but in the end is RAW just a good album retentions and honest bright spot in tough times. ~Nineke Loedeman