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Third LP from quirky indie-folk rocker playing soon at a local
record store near you
Ike Reilly is a lot of things. On Junkie Faithful (his
second incarnation as the Ike Reilly Assassination), the Midwestern
troubadour claims to be a stranger, a holiday killer, a semi-part-time
gospel spiller, a clubfoot boyfriend, and a landlord villain, among
others. Reilly's relatively sprawling subject matter ranges from rural
farm girl requests to wry picket-and-protest stances to drug-addled
tales of perpetual unhappiness. All this is just a slice of the imaginative
and dysfunctional world as seen through the eyes of the edgy everyman
from the tiny town of Libertyville, Illinois.
Ike Reilly also has a lot to say. So much so that it becomes clear
that Reilly's songs primarily serve as a vehicle for his voice, which
is somewhere between the strained vocal chords of Bob Dylan
and the hyperactive pop bounce of Jason Mraz. In fact, Reilly
even attempts to channel Dylan via a "How does it feel?"-type
line ("Where - were - you?") in "The Mixture",
which is also full of lyrical floetry.
Musically, Junkie Faithful finds Reilly replacing most of
the voltage from predecessor Sparkle with tasteful amounts
of acoustic guitar, heartland harmonica, and even some old school
accordion. This is buoyant and flavorful indie rock at its finest.
Reilly has a lot of needs, but more than anything, he wants to
be accepted (despite his eclectic array of unfavorable personality
traits). Reilly also has issues with his mom. In "God And Money",
he lashes out at her for his rigid Christian upbringing but seems
to forgive her in part - only to merrily reminisce of her funeral
in the jaunty "What A Day".
Ike Reilly may have a sick sense of humor, but his keen wit and
nerve make him come off as some sort of lightweight indie rock hero
- at least to his junkie faithful. On "Devil's Valentine",
Reilly states, "Somewhere between dreams and fear is life".
And somewhere between life and death is Ike Reilly, off in his
own little corner of small-town America, turning tales into tunes.
-Ken Devine
Standout Tracks: "God And Money", "The Mixture",
"Everything Is Alright"
Track Listing:
1. 22 Hours Of Darkness
2. The Mixture
3. God And Money
4. Kara Dean
5. Farm Girl
6. Suffer For The Trust
7. Edge Of The Universe Café
8. Heroin
9. What A Day
10. I Will Let You Down
11. Devil's Valentine
12. Everything Is Alright
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Ike
Reilly Assassination
