Ron LaSalle "When Hellhounds Meet Angels (And Other Sordid Love Stories)”

PHQ, 2012

Bit late arriving, but well worth the wait.

• Musicians don’t usually like comparisons with other muso’s, unless of course they’re being compared with the greats; and then I’m sure they’ll accept it.

• At times, LaSalle sounds like he’s picked up the Rolling Stone’s vibe on ‘The Haunted Kind’, but most of the time he’s the spit for John Hiatt. And as you probably know, Hiatt is one of the better Americana artists; so this is good thing. “When Hellhounds Meet Angels (And Other Sordid Love Stories)” traverses the entire gamut of Americana, country roots-rock (we even get a “yee-ha!”) plus it throws in some occasional jazz inflections too.

  On his third album, which has arrived two years later than planned due to the passing of his business partner, LaSalle has produced an album that rocks and rolls, provides thoughtful and intelligent lyrics that outline his adventures as an unexpectedly single man in his mid-forties. Most guys get a Harley or a tattoo, but La Salle writes a bunch of fine songs. LaSalle can also do sensitive. ‘I Couldn’t Stay’ and ‘Just To Remind You’ are break up songs, whereas album closer ‘That’s What I Like (about loving you)’ is about finding true love and is presumably about his wife. Our erstwhile editor reviewed “Too Angry To Pray” back in 2002 and seemingly enjoyed it. The same can be said of me and this album.