Search - Ike Reilly :: Poison the Hit Parade

Gravy for fans, newcomers should get some meat and potatoes

Darren A. Conroy | Boston, MA, USA | 04/09/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Ike's new record falls somewhere in the murky gray area of non-canonical full-lengths. It's not a B-sides compilation, it's not a lost session tape, and it's not a greatest hits collection. It's really kind of a potpourri of anything that would fit on an album. It's made up of some new material, some highlights from his digital EPs, demos from his major-label debut and some re-recordings of his previous albums. Yeah, it sounds like a classic time-stall, but if that was his intent, it probably wouldn't come eleven short months after 2007's We Belong to the Staggering Evening.



For someone who used to have some tight Dust Brothers-esque production on his records and now plays the role of a frontman of a raw bar rock band, the re-records aren't really lacking in fidelity or hooks, mainly because Reilly sounds like he's having some fun dressing his songs up differently, (especially his salute to Cracker's country-tinged cover of his own Duty Free). And if you already know the songs, you'll enjoy hearing a different spin on them. Some of these may sound redundant, especially the demo for Hip Hop Thighs which just showcases a few different lyrics and differences in song structure. Also, despite the genre switch, It's All Right to Die never feels quite as separated from its counterpart as the blown-out verses of either version feel from their contrasting acoustic chorus.



New material, of course, is what really pricks up a fan's ear, so it's really a blessing Ike doesn't skimp on it. He supplies us with four new tunes, (six if you missed out on any of his online-only EP's), and it's solid, actually managing to string together the other mash-ups. The most immediate stand-out is the up-tempo chemotherapy empathy ballad, Fireflies. With an opening that, (with a thicker production gloss,) wouldn't feel entirely out of place on a Jimmy Eat World record, Ike barrels into some of his heaviest lyrics ("as the angels tear your flesh," he sings of the surgeons), soaring bittersweet melody lines, and a shade of heartfelt optimism that you'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in his discography.



The other tracks are good, but, really, nothing shocking. If you've been following Ike's career, you'll know exactly what to expect if told to expect the expected. The title track features some lyrical play akin to 2005's Junkie Faithful material, and Janie Doesn't Lie's got a damn hooky chorus, although the tune is just dying for some more treble.



If there's a downside to Poison's seemingly random (if not fun) selection of songs and new styles for them, it's that his only mood not represented here is that goldmine of the lush vibe Ike found in Sparkle in the Finish's two dynamite closers: St. Joe's Band and Ex-Americans. Here, the slow songs are acoustic, the fast ones are played through blown-out amps, leaving you kind of thirsty for some subtlety.



And if there's a downside to Poison being cranked out so soon after its predecessor, it's that there's really not much of a foreshadowing of Reilly's next creative direction, either.



So all in all, for those who love Ike Reilly (and don't forget his Assassination, either!) on the whole, there's plenty to like here. If you're not an IRA fan yet, may I take the privilege to tell you that what you hear here may not necessarily impress you, and you're better off starting with one of his other full-lengths, there's not a bad one in the batch. Not that Poison is bad, but it's sure nowhere near as accessible as his other material. But maybe it's not such a bummer considering how many artists neuter themselves in the name of accessibility these days."

One of the Best Song Writers of our age delivers again.

R. F. Kelly | Quad Cities USA | 05/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ike Reilly is consistently delivering great music. Here he comes through again. Why is he so good? What makes him tick? How come salt adds so much flavor to food that sucks? I can't answer any of these. I do advise you to buy this cd. Listen to it over and over."