For the uninitiated, placing an album like
Nashville City Blues in the CD player will be a pleasant surprise. Pleasant because it is a country album that, despite its title, has nothing to do with Nashville, and pleasant because
James Talley's approach to country is shot through with the blues. There are no retro-honky tonk songs in sight, and while
Talley does wear a hat on the CD cover, it isn't a cowboy hat. The album kicks off with the title cut, a rocking kiss-off to Nashville and all it's cookie-cutter sameness. "I've Seen the Bear" is a long-running narrative with a late-night feel and insightful observations, while "Workin' for Wages" lays down a few honest words about the blue-collar life. "You Can't Get There From Here" and "House Right Down the Road" are fun rockers that give
Talley a chance to cut loose with some nice guitar work. A number of songs like "Don't You Feel Low Down" and "If It Wasn't for the Blues" emphasize the "blues" in the album's title. The arrangements throughout
Nashville City Blues are pure country, meaning guitar, mandolin, steel, Dobro, and an occasional piano. The instruments blend well together, and the overall production is spare.
Talley, who has penned all of the songs, writes intelligent lyrics and has a pleasant singing voice. He remembers and celebrates country music's working-class roots. For fans of "real" country music,
Nashville City Blues will be an ear-opening experience, leaving them anxious for upcoming reissues of
Talley's earlier work. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.