For those unaware, The Great Yellow Light (releasing via River House Records) is the 21st long-playing release from veteran New York-based singer / songwriter / guitarist the New Yorker called One of the most brilliant singer-songwriters of the past 30 years, Willie Nile.

The album title is a reference to Vincent Van Gogh’s letters to his brother, Theo, and the light that inspired him in Arles, France where he lived from February 1888 to May 1889.

The album was recorded at Hobo Sound, Weehawken, NJ produced by Nile and his longtime producer, Grammy-winner Stewart Lerman (Elvis Costello, Patti Smith, Sharon Van Etten, etc.) with Outlaw Country icon Steve Earle contributing guest vocals to one track, Wake Up America.

The Great Yellow Light is filled with passionate guitar-driven, melodic songs, a mix of anthemic rockers and sensitive ballads with a subtle socio-political message throughout. Willie was joined in the studio by his core band Jimi Bones - electric & acoustic guitars, backing vocals, Johnny Pisano - bass, backing vocals and Jon Weber - drums, providing soaring lead vocals, electric guitar and piano himself.

Besides Earle, special guests include Irish music icon Paul Brady on vocals, The Hooters’ Rob Hyman and Eric Bazilian on keys and strings respectively, Black 47 members Larry Kirwan, Fred Parcells, and Chris Byrne and legendary sidemen Waddy Wachtel and David Mansfield.

1. Wild Wild World
2. We Are, We Are
3. Electrify Me
4. An Irish Goodbye (Featuring Paul Brady)
5. The Great Yellow Light
6. Tryin’ to Make a Livin’ in the U.S.A
7. Fall on Me
8. What Color Is Love
9. Wake Up America (Featuring Steve Earle)
10. Washington’s Day

One of the most brilliant singer-songwriters of the last thirty years or more, Nile opens his new album on the rocking, geographically informative the Wild Wild World and the good old fashioned rocker We Are, We Are, and then we get the Iggy-hued Electrify Me, the folk-pop of An Irish Goodbye (featuring Irish singer-songwriter and musician Paul Brady) before the dulcet, at first, forthright latterly title track ballad The Great Yellow Light is brought forth.

Along next is the rambunctious rocker Tryin’ to Make a Livin’ in the U.S.A which is itself backed beautifully by the smooth folk-rock of the rhythmic Fall on Me, the emboldened What Color Is Love, the set rounding out on the rousing rocker Wake Up America (featuring American country, rock, and folk singer-songwriter Steve Earle), coming to a close on the melodiously languishing Washington’s Day

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