Miles From Home Review - Blue Suede News #84

(Note: This issue contains a full interview, and at the request of BSN, we’ll make this available to our readers here on rubydeemusic.com after BSN #84 is off the newsstands. Thanks you.)

Blending snarling rockabilly with honky tonk heartache, Ruby Dee and The Snakehandlers have crafted their best recorded set thus far. The heart of the 13-song set emanates from Dee’s original material which combines poetic expressionism and hillbilly sass. Aided by Jorge Harada’s top-flight guitar work - which alternates ballroom tenderness with rowdy roadhouse rock - she sounds like a Texas dance hall chanteuse visiting us from another era. Produced by Conrad Uno and Harada at Egg Studios in Seattle, the set conjures its finest rockabilly moments when Dee growls ala Wanda Jackson (”Since You Went Away”), torches noir style (”Round and Round”), and delivers tough put-downs (”Don’t Need A Man”). Harada enjoys some stellar moments as well, igniting his guitar with Link Wray style noir riffs (”Gunslinger”) and playing with biting cowpunk ferocity (”Shameful Breaker”). Yet, it is the slower moments that prove most memorable. Augmenting her regular band with solid guest pickers [Liz and Pete Smith, Bob Knetzger and Lewis Warren]*, Dee is able to deliver country music with a genuine sawdust on the floor feel. Sounding coy yet ironic (”Drunk Talk”), she delivers hook song emotions (”Standing In The Shadows”) and backwoods mythology (”Cold Pines And Red Dirt”) that sound completely authentic in both setting and delivery. Occasionally a performance runs longer than necessary, but overall, this is inspired work. - Ken Burke

*[Liz Smith, Pete Smith and Lewis Warren performed on "Shameful Breaker". Sean Hudson on bass and Kipp Crawford on drums make up the rhythm section on Miles From Home. - RDSH Admin]