Readyville
Readyville
Antenna Farm, 2005

Nick Palatucci, singer/guitarist/harmonica player in East Bay duo Readyville, is sick of the Bright Eyes comparisons. He's so sick of them, he's taken to changing some of his lyrics live to express his frustration. But the good news is, he's got nothing to worry about - his nasal, shaky voice has more in common with a less congested John Darnielle than Conor Oberst. And musically, Readyville sounds more like punk/country acts like Against Me! and This Bike is a Pipe Bomb than Bright Eyes. But what separates Readyville from the pack is the fact that Palatucci, along with multi-instrumentalist Eoin P. Galvin, obviously have a more thorough understanding of country music than Oberst and company. They've got lap-steels, they've got organs, they've got harmonicas, and they're not afraid to use them. It feels authentic from every angle; the lyrics, in particular, will sweep any nu-country fan off of their feet - "And there wasn't enough whiskey in this city to get you to tell me the truth" from "An El Camino is a Car" and "I think life's a whole lot like my whiskers: life is dark, life is short, and life is rough" from "Life is Rough" are a couple of my favorites. They don't really re-invent the wheel, but it's because they don't want to. In a genre like country, it's hard to find room for progression; any act getting a little experimental either strays from country or never makes it to Nashville. Readyville remind us that sometimes, rather than try something too different, sometimes it's just best to stick to your guns. -- David Gulbis