Ruby Dice – Take Me Back
Packaged in an artistically busy one-color illustration, the music is decorated wildly in this expressive 10-track collection with varied guests. This interesting showcase celebrates the Austin, TX music community with Take Me Back – A Love Letter To Austin, TX (Drops Aug 28/Gitcha Records/36:05).
There’s a cross-section of styles, roots, Americana, country, & blues, with some rock produced by Gunnison, CO native Ruby Dice (bass/vocals). She blends her Colorado grit with Texas soul along with co-producers (her band) Calloway Ritch (guitar), Jeff Sanders (drums/percussion) & David Thacker (keys).
“Stories” leads the pack as an old-fashioned country ballad with strong performances, a disciplined melody & a solid duet. Ruby Dice has a superb approach to her material. Not countrified to the point of hillbilly, not too hokey-pokey or outlaw-driven. “Grey Horse” is filled with vocal sincerity throughout its narrative. The effects are haunting but minimal (as they should be). The instrumentation’s woven with clarity & Simon Paige’s pedal steel guitar is a nice touch.
Exemplary vocals come with “Little Big Town,” & the addition of the male vocal gives this track a nice contrast. This is a well-arranged little tune that plods along with pristine instrumental interplay. The singing is delivered with energy & plenty of authenticity, a catchy addition.
Some tracks are well conceived but thematically fairly basic in a C&W application (“Cosplay Cowboy”). A bit mediocre, but Ruby Dice’s voice is often appealing; she’s a good interpreter of the lyric & her voice has more character than the songs have depth. Many of the contributing voices (not detailed on the LP individually sing extremely well. The song structures aren’t so much retro as old-world rootsy, fermented in the C&W ideals of the ‘50s & early ‘60s.
It’s not pop-country (as exemplified by today’s country hits) but a distillation of the more traditional manners without the cornpone & hayseed. It’s laid out with finesse & skill. Modesty dramatic is “Country Show” but not overly so. “Dress To Impress” is wildly creative. A Fabulous Thunderbirds crossed with Z.Z. Top & Bonnie Raitt. A delicious performance, hard to top.
Surprisingly, “The Reason” sounds like Fleetwood Mac with Stevie Nicks & Christine McVie at full-bore country for 3 minutes. It has that classic Fleetwood Mac dynamism running through it, even with the way the guitars & drums project. The vocals on “Pockets” are laudable, more determined & aggressive with melody-savoring performances. Apparently, this group understands the catchiness required for a country chart possibility. Nothing here is boring or elementary.
Highlights – “Stories,” “Grey Horse,” “Little Big Town,” “Country Show,” “The Reason,” “Pockets,” & “Dress To Impress.”
Featuring: Shinyribs, Suzanna Choffel, Nakia, Scott Strickland, Sean McHargue, Jordan Matthew Young, Grey Horse, Sophia Johnson, Garrett Jay Brown & Boone Carter.
Color image courtesy of Ruby Dice’s Facebook gallery. CD @ Discogs & https://www.rubydice.com/