Ike Reilly Assassination
Junkie Faithful

(Rock Ridge)

First Appeared in The Music Box, November 2005, Volume 12, #11

Written by T.J. Simon

After scattering a few inspired moments over the course of his last two outings, the wheels have come off Ike Reilly’s bus. Junkie Faithful, his latest release under the moniker The Ike Reilly Assassination, finds the suburban Chicago artist delivering a dozen tracks that lack the punch and pizzazz that his fans have come to expect. Comparisons to Bob Dylan, Paul Westerberg, and Ray Davies are still somewhat appropriate, but Reilly’s songwriting appears to be stuck in the muck of an unexplained lethargy.

The good news is that Junkie Faithful still features strong lyrics and clever rhyming schemes, particularly on the tracks The Mixture and Suffer for the Trust, but too often, they are undermined by consistently sleepy and uninspired instrumental packaging as well as Reilly’s lazy vocal delivery. Even comparatively peppy numbers, such as What a Day and Farm Girl, are sure to disappoint, while songs like Kara Dean and the aptly titled I Will Let You Down are an insult to the memory of the promising artist that Reilly was just a few short years ago. Ultimately, Reilly’s considerable lyrical ability means nothing unless his words are encased in worthy music, and that’s where Junkie Faithful fails miserably. ½

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Ratings

1 Star:   Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!

Copyright © 2005 The Music Box