Rinaldi Sings—The Party's Over

Coming back to Indie Launchpad after so much time, it's both a blessing and a curse, that in the interim, so many releases have slipped past me unnoticed. Rinaldi Sings, is a band I've been a big fan of and remember checking in intermittently with the management for new music, after the last release Bingo, way back in 2008. There was always rumbling of new stuff, but nothing seemed to appear, so you can imagine my surprise when I checked up and saw that I'd missed a new release in 2021. So I threw on the album, or rather in this digital world, toddled over to YouTube Music, put on my headphones and pressed play.

The album opens with The Highs are too High and there's no mistaking that Rinaldi Sings sound, especially Steve Rinaldi's vocals. Eyes of a Dreamer follows, and you can't help but be swept away with the upbeat music and infectious sound.

She'll Be There, ups the ante and in comes the brass, bright and bold. I love the brief conversation intermission just past the halfway mark, and there's no mistaking the musical influences drawn upon in every track.

As with any great album, it's a roller coaster of change, from bright and breezy to thoughtful and contemplative, as shown in We've Been Here before, a gentle stroll through a wistful, eyes wide open daydream, and then you're spun around, and your foot can't help but tap along to Tell Your Story Walking.

And so it goes for the whole album, 12 tracks of magic which are over way too quickly. If I were to highlight my favourite tracks on the album, they would have to be The Highs are Too High, Empress of the Splendid Season and my absolute favourite, My Mate Bill, with vignettes of life, told over a few minutes in the greatest tradition of the Kinks or dare I say it, the Beatles.

There are many influences that come to mind when listening to Rinaldi Sings, there's the unmistakable 60s sensibilities, but there are hints of classic artists like Gene Pitney, Tony Christie and Gary Puckett to name a few, and while Steve draws on these influences, he very much stamps every song with his own hallmark sound.

It's so good to see recent music from Rinaldi Sings and by the rumblings on his Facebook page, hopefully it won't be too long before there's something new to review.