Monday, December 12, 2011

Doop and the Inside Outlaws - What am I supposed to do? - An Americana Daily Review

I have to confess...I received this cd over a month ago and it's been in my car player ever since. I can't stop listening to it. What am I supposed to do? is such a complete album that on first listen I was half-way through it the second time before I realized it. Every track blends so well into the next that I just kept listening, I'm still listening. 

The songs are soulful, mournful, wistful and above all, tuneful. Don (Doop) Duprie is an extraordinary writer and the Inside Outlaws provide the perfect soundtrack to the stories Don tells through his songs. Songs about karma - 'Heartbreaker', love - 'Give It To You', regret - 'Not Too Late', economic depression/frustration - 'What Am I Supposed to Do', and life's lessons learned the hard way - 'Hard Way'. 

From the opener, 'Heartbreaker', through to the closer, 'Salt of the Earth', (yes the Stones song, only better, it serves as a toast to the people Doop writes about) What am I supposed to do? puts life in the 21st century in perspective with a good old 20th century country rock feel and some of the sweetest pedal steel guitar I've heard in quite some time. 

If you've ever been laid off, blown off, pissed off or pissed on you'll find a song on this album that fits the mood. If you've ever broken somebody's heart or had your heart broken, you'll find songs about that too. And, if you just want to rock and roll sometimes, Pete Ballard (electric guitar/pedal steel guitar) will tell you about it on 'You Gotta Rock and Roll Sometimes', a rock-a-billy boogie that must surely be a show-stopper live!

A personal favorite is 'Not Too Late', (a duet featuring Alison Lewis) that tells the story of former lovers still yearning for each other years later:

"Sometimes love it fades away 
I always hoped ours would one day 
But it stays on me just like a scar 
I wish I had on this broken heart 

Every time I step into that bar 
 Every time I hear those old songs play 
Every time I start to drink that whiskey 
I wonder if it's not too late..." 

 If you don't have a copy of What am I supposed to do? put it on your Christmas list, it will be the best gift you get this year. 

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