 Title - ‘Supermodel’ (Rustic Records)
Artist - Mark Insley
The front cover and title of Insley's third release hardly suggests the seamless, rootsy mix of country, folk and rock that awaits within. Having bounced around the L.A. scene for several years, Insley relocated to Tucson a couple of years ago. On his latest release he continues the sort of pan-Americana mix that fellow travelers like Buddy & Julie Miller and Christy McWilson have mined so successfully, edging variously towards twangy, bent-steel country and reverb-backed Tom Petty styled rock. The song list includes five originals, including the atmospheric nightmare "The Devil's Knocking," and character-driven songs such as "Running Back to You" and "My Neighbor's Dog." As with his previous albums, Insley's songs concentrate on the backside of love - relationships whose tattered remains leave only disillusion and unrequited desires. Four well-selected covers include the raggedly evocative "Deep End of the Bar" and a sorrowfully detached, nearly numb rendition of Johnny Paycheck's "Pardon Me (I've Got Someone to Kill)."
Reviewed by MJ Stern
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