¡LA Baby!
Self-Released, 2021
8/10
A Texas native who now calls Los Angeles home, Ben Reddell has made quite a name for himself in the California roots scene, as evidenced by this diverse and charming EP that takes help on arranging and bass from Elijah Ocean, among others musicians.
“My Baby” starts the listen with warm acoustic guitar as equally enticing piano enters alongside smooth vocal harmonies on the breezy folk rocker, and “Cocaine” follows with rugged electric guitar and agile drumming from Travis Popichak, as a raw form of roots rock develops.
The middle tracks offer us the pretty, melodic rural sounds of the raspy “Tumbleweed”, while the upbeat and wild “Love Her & You Need Her” makes great use of Jeremy Long’s accordion on the playful bar rocker.
At the end, “12 Bar Blues” recruits Matt Pynn’s emotive pedal steel as Reddell’s expressive pipes guide us through the poetic storytelling, and “Good Thing” continues amid a festive climate with a bouncy, busy and precisely textured atmosphere. The bonus single, “Hey”, then finishes the listen with a pretty and gritty display of soulful country rock that gets right to the heart of Reddell’s roots.
Reddell started recording this EP right before Covid hit, which changed the process significantly, and also released him from his promoter and studio manager duties, too. With that abundance of time, he was able to channel much energy into this exceptional listen that showcases his rhythm guitar prowess, versatile singing and top notch brand of Americana, country, and roots flavored rock’n’roll.
Travels well with: West Of Texas- Heartache, Hangovers & Honky Tonks; The Contraptionists- Working Man’s Dread