Reckless Kelly

Reckless Kelly is first and foremost, a great live show, but beyond that, they are gifted songwriters and musicians who defy the cookie cutter classifications determined by the industry. They are neither rock, nor country. They are not bluegrass. They are not Texas Country. The label "Alternative Country" has been applied to them previously, but even that is an uncomfortable fit.

Lacking a genre, however, does not mean they lack a distinctive sound. In fact, Willie Braun's vocal style is unmistakable whether he is singing a rollicking account of good love gone bad and violent, or the vulnerable and resolute ballad of a Katrina survivor. The songs are an expression of every aspect of American life, and reflect almost every style of music that is distinctly American. Their songs display vulnerability, male swaggering, drunken brawling, yearning for love, yearning for peace, regret for what is lost and what has never been, and a lack of tolerance for bullshit, in any of its many incarnations. In the midst of it, there is a biting humor and the turn of a well crafted phrase that lingers in your mind, long after the music has stopped. All of it is set to the wail of a sometimes angry, but always skillfully wrung out guitar.

If you love bad boys, you'll love them. And if you find yourself bored with with artifical, pre-packaged country stars of today, and find that rock and roll has gotten just a little too whiney and PC, give Reckless Kelly a listen. I think you'll like what you hear.

Their latest album, Bulletproof, is available for sale as of June 24, 2008.