Red Idle Rejects — Genus Americanas

Red Idle Rejects, Steve Bowling’s Cincinnati-based band, call themselves “a rock + roll outfit.” They are all that, and more on this, their third album.

If you yearn to tune in a Johnny Cash of your own generation, then let me introduce you to Red Idle Rejects. They play their boisterous songs with a refreshingly uncluttered energy. There’s an insistence to these songs that remind us of the essence of rock and country: expressing truths that need to be shouted, but wrapping some kick ass chords around them to soften the blow just a little. At the epicenter of this important task is the originality of the material, which offers everyone a moment to shine.

The album is a collection of originals that each stand strongly on their own, while adding up to create a song portrait of everyday America —our concerns, our hopes, our gripes, our obligations. It is a wake-up call to ourselves and, as such, well worth listening to. Highlights on the disc include “Whispering Game” and “Own Damn Fool.”

Red Idle Rejects consists of: Steve Bowling (songwriter and vocals), Justin Bridges (fiddle), Daniel Ferguson (bass), Steve Sigsbee (lead guitar), Mick Waltrip (drums). Guests on the album are: Gracie Bowling (vocals), Rachel Bowling (vocals), Greg Hudson (keyboard), and Kurt Kaufman (vocals).