By Brian Rock
Rainy Eyes follows her meandering muse from Norway to San Francisco to New Orleans on her sophomore release, Lonesome Highway. The Norwegian native, Rainy Eyes (ala Irena Eide,) wrestles with the tragic shortcomings of the men in her life. An absentee father battling addiction and a “toxic” ex-husband compel Rainy Eyes to find her own path. But it is these very hardships that have forged her independence and resilience, which, in turn, give her music an underlying sense of confidence and assurance.
The title song rolls along on lively Bakersfield rhythms. Despite the positive energy, Rainy sings of low-level con artists, prostitutes, and down and outers. Looking at their current state, she wonders, “What’s it gonna take to get you back on track? You took that foul road; it’s so hard to get back. You’ve got to ride that lonesome highway by yourself.” Warning about the consequences of misguided actions, Rainy shows us that only we can fix the mistakes of our past. But the uptempo rhythm and backing vocal harmonies hint that even though it may be a lonely path, it’s the right path.
Rainy Eye lives up to her moniker on the sullen, “Misty Mama.” Combining subdued Bakersfield influences with the feel of The Band’s more introspective works, the song pays homage to a mysterious, moody mama who’s just trying to, “satisfy her soul.” Electric guitar and fiddle alternate to create a cross genre, folk-rock/bluegrass feel. The bluegrass influence is more pronounced on the dreamy, “Idaho.” Rainy adds steel guitar to give a honky-tonk flair to, “A Little Dream.” “Set Me Free,” picks up the pace with a “Wille & The Hand Jive” rhythm section. Downshifting to ballads, Rainy enchants on the haunting, Hammond organ infused, “You Just Want What You Can’t Have.” “To Take His Life,” “Faded Away,” and “Monday’s Gonna Come Around,” are all sumptuous folk-rock ballads that showcase Rainy’s emotive, breathy vocals. “Just A Little Ran,” again reinforces Rainy Eyes’ stage persona. The fiddle laced, folk-grass ballad reveals insight into Rainy’s journey. Singing, “I walked through the burning fire just to feel the flame on my skin. I waded knee deep through the mire in Modesto, California in the spring;” she poetically addresses the trials and tribulations she’s faced. But because of her inner strength and resiliency; all the obstacles in her life turn out to be no more than, “just a little rain.” A modern-day Emmylou Harris, Rainy Eyes combines folk and country influences to weave poignant stories of remorse and redemption.
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Brian Rock
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