Cascade Blues Music Reviews Aric Riley, Talk About Trouble Music Review Index

Music Review Reprint from the
November, 2003 BluesNotes
By Greg Johnson

• Talk About Trouble
• Poor Boy, Long Ways From Home
• Catfish Blues
• Feel So Bad
• Railroad Bill
• Pay Day
• Goin' Down Slow
• Sweet Little Rider
• Blues (That Mean Old Twister)
• Sugar Babe
• Orinda-Maraga
• You're The One
  

By: Greg Johnson

    There definitely appears to be a resurgence of acoustic guitarists nowadays and to be honest, a number of them remain pretty faceless because they all start sounding alike. That certainly isn't the case with Portland guitarist Aric Riley, though. His debut self-release, Talk About Trouble, is everything that you can hope for with this genre: clean, crisp guitar lines that do not feel forced. Riley is very relaxed with his delivery and finds himself working just as strongly as a solo artist as when he performs with others.

    The album was produced by local hero Terry Robb, who has offered these same talents to great success for the likes of John Fahey and Sheila Wilcoxson. Robb has also served as a mentor to Riley, who spent time studying with him. It is surely apparent, too, as Riley's work comes across with the same feel quite like Robb's essential recordings. Terry Robb joins Riley on a couple of numbers, offering bottleneck guitar to the Lightnin' Hopkins piece "Feel So Bad" and second guitar on Jimmy Rogers' "You're The One." Also recruited to assist on three tracks is bassist Katey Angel.

    Though most of the tracks are covers of other artists, some fairly well-known material such as "Catfish Blues" or "Goin' Down Slow," Aric Riley also displays his efforts as a songwriter himself. The two original titles, "Talk About Trouble" and "Sweet Little Rider," both show a knack for extraordinary guitar work and emotive lyrics. "Rider" especially brings with it a feel for stellar artists such as Mississippi John Hurt or John Jackson in its delivery.

    Overall, Aric Riley's Talk About Trouble is the type of recording that you'll want to listen to over and over. It's quite comforting, just the right sound for a rainy day or whenever you just want to feel good. A splendid recording; the only thing I can find at fault with it is that it just doesn't last long enough. A must-have for any acoustic enthusiasts!

© 2003 Cascade Blues Association