New review in Acoustic Guitar

From the April 2005 issue of Acoustic Guitar Magazine
By Ian Zack

Paul Rishell and Annie Raines, Goin' Home

Blues performers can be forgiven if they occasionally fall into a rut: it isn’t easy to make simple eight- and 12-bar forms sound new and exciting. But Goin’ Home, country blues duo Paul Rishell and Annie Raines’ third collaboration together, is full of surprises and revelations. Rishell’s picking on both National steel and (on several full-band cuts) electric guitar is melodic and sweet, and he has an uncanny way of finding notes that tickle the ear, as in Charley Jordan’s “Hunkie Tunkie Blues.” Rishell sings with quiet soul throughout, but especially on the old Texas gospel tune “If I Had a Good Mother and Father” and Charley Patton’s “Some of These Days,” which he and Raines mine for all its lyricism and poignancy. Raines, celebrated for her harmonica playing, displays her burgeoning multi-instrumental chops, contributing mandolin, piano, and a fine blues shout on Ma Rainey’s “Black Eye Blues.” The finale, a live version of Magic Sam’s “Lookin’ Good,” opens with Rishell’s dazzling string work and ends with Raines’ ferocious overdriven blues harp, whipping the crowd—and presumably folks listening in their living rooms—into a frenzy. (Tone-Cool/Artemis, www.artemisrecords.com)