Intimations of mortality with wry humour and a folk-rock feel.
Rumble Strip formed in 2018 when writer Richard Rossi approached guitarist Dave Nachmanoff about working together. They released the EP “Let’s Roll” in 2021, and three of those five songs now appear on the album “Sayonara, Baby”. Written and recorded in under three months, the collection covers a range of styles, folk and americana, power pop, rockabilly and blues. As they themselves describe it, this is a cornucopia of tall tales, big hooks and ringing melodies.
The lyrics are the work of Rich Rossi, an educator and published author with a sharp eye and a well-developed sense of irony. Dave Nachmanoff writes the music. He’s enjoyed a long career as Al Stewart’s guitarist and has shared a stage with Steve Forbert, Alison Krauss and many others. As a Doctor of Philosophy, he no doubt enjoys the existential nature of the Rumble Strip songbook, dealing as it does with life, love and death, and always infused with humour.
The title track, which opens the album, describes someone rejected by their lover, possessions left out on the lawn. This gives an indication of what’s to follow – the mordant humour of ‘It Could Always Be Worse’ and ‘Checkin’ Out’. Things turn surreal in ‘Lousy Day’ and in ‘Adam West’, a funeral eulogy prompts a fantasy about an afterlife meeting with the actor from the Batman TV series.
Mortality is a recurring theme, as in ‘Thumbs Up’ and it’s down to the Yucatan underworld in ‘South Of The Border’, an amusing tale of a failed prison rescue attempt. Meanwhile, the confidant that brings comfort in ‘He Talks To Me’ turns out to be a canine companion aged 83 in dog years.
Assisted by Bart van der Zeeuw on drums, Nachmanoff produced the record and takes all the vocal and remaining instrumental duties, with backing vocals from Megan Kleven. He’s evidently a very gifted all-round musician, and with “Sayonara, Baby”, Nachmanoff and Rossi have delivered an entertaining and well-observed set of cameos that will provoke thought and leave you smiling.
