Uncovered
Paradiddle, 2020
9/10
Now 4 decades into his illustrious career, the New Yorker Willie Nile celebrates by having 26 of his tunes covered by some very prominent names on the aptly titled Uncovered.
“Hell Yeah” starts the listen with a gospel influence amid soft guitar and a tambourine by Emily Duff, and “When Levon Sings”, performed by Quarter Horse, continues the warm climate with spirited, rootsy sounds, as does the vocally strong “American Ride”, where Gene Casey channels his inner Springsteen.
Other highlights from disc 1 include Iridesencse’s electric guitar rock of “History 101”, while “On Some Rainy Day” is a versatile folk tune that’s both rugged and melodic and precisely executed by The Four Amigos. “One Guitar”, by Graham Parker, then jangles a bit with tuneful grit on the exceptional exit of the 1st disc.
The 2nd disc is just as excellent, and includes Nil Lofgren’s bare acoustic guitar prowess on “I Can’t Do Crazy (Anymore)”, and “Lookin’ For Someone” flows with emotion and beauty by Caroline Doctorow. “Everybody Needs A Hammer”, the best tune across both discs, then recruits banjo amid smooth female vocals from Annie Mark that abruptly moves into a bouncy, bar rocker with an organ. Deeper into the listen, “House Of Thousand Guitars” brings in a call and response strategy amid breezy Americana as Allen Santoriello contributes a top notch track.
An effort with something for everyone, Americana, rock, folk, country and roots rock are all explored here and interpreted in thoughtful, exciting ways that certainly puts Nile’s work at the highest regard, which is where it belongs as he’s undeniably one of the most extraordinary songwriters that exists today.
Travels well with: John Hiatt- The Eclipse Sessions; Jesse Malin- Outsiders