Ray Bonneville
Roll It Down

(Red House)

First Appeared in The Music Box, June 2005, Volume 12, #6

Written by John Metzger

Over the course of the past decade, Ray Bonneville quietly has developed a devoted following in Canada, but with the release of Roll It Down, his fifth collection of original compositions, he has set his sights upon the larger American market. Taken in total, the album’s 12 tracks offer a prismatic examination of the blues, though Roll It Down hardly feels like a purebred, blues-oriented outing. That’s because Bonneville is a singer/songwriter at heart, and he dusts his material with elements of country, folk, and pop. Tackled at a leisurely gait, the songs drift past in an unassuming yet mesmerizing manner. Though echoes of Eric Clapton (You Know What I Mean), Mark Knopfler (Under the Bridge), and Bob Dylan (Slow Matin) waft through the effort, it’s clear that J.J. Cale is Bonneville’s biggest influence. Everything — from the slinky groove that drives the title tune to the percolating rhythms of July Sun — is basted in Cale’s laid-back, roots-oriented brew. In that regard, Bonneville never manages to break new ground on Roll It Down, but what he does offer is an impeccable suite of songs that is wholly intoxicating.

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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