FRANK VIELE
WHAT’S HIS NAME?
DROP YOUR GUN–HONEY–‘TILL THE BOURBON’S ALL GONE–WHAT’S HIS NAME–POMEGRANATE–IF YOU COULD ONLY READ MY MIND–NEON LIGHTS–IT (FEAT. CHRISTINE OHLMAN)–TURN AROUND–AIN’T IT FUNNY–FINDING MY OWN WAY–CIGARETTES, THROWING STONES, AND LIES
We first became acquainted with Frank Viele thru the NoiseTrade music-sharing website, and were immediately captivated by his powerful storytelling and intense characters within his songs. There’s plenty of that readily available on his latest disc, “What’s His Name?” Already a mainstay on the New England scene, the rest of the world is about to hear what an amazing talent he is. He’s featured on these original cuts on vocals and guitars, with a distinct, burnished delivery. He’s also got a bluesman’s soul that shines all over this set.
Frank’s been down the same roads that many of us have, and this material reflects such. Check out the Resonator slide and punchy horn section on a story of longing for a lover’s “sugar sweet, gypsy soul,” “all I want is a bit of yo’ Honey!” He’s the odd man out in a love triangle in the title cut, demanding “if you’re gonna walk out that door, What’s His Name?,” punctuated by a heavy, funked-up groove. “Pomegranate” is fueled by the cello stylings of Dave Eggar, while another cut heavy on the slide guitar finds Frank as the lover full of regret, looking to hear those “same four words–darling, I forgive you,” and features duet vocals from Chrisine Ohlman, entitled “It.”
The set closes with our favorite, as Frank again wishes he could “turn back the time,” the soulful and bluesy “Cigarettes, Throwing Stones, And Lies.”
Within the music of Frank Viele, you can find bits and pieces of all of us who have ever been sucker-punched by love. So, all us “lovers, losers, and boozers” can enjoy this one, and, before long, you won’t have to ask “What’s His Name?” Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues Society.
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