This is a review of our new album posted in Insight News by Dwight Hobbs

Friday, July 07, 2006


Music/The Rule

from Insight News

How many CDs do you have, where you can put the disc in, lay back and
let it play straight to the end without skipping a single tune, and,
then, let the whole thing play all over again? You can count them on
one hand, right? Add to that number melodic groove-meister The Rule
a/k/a singer-songsmith Ryan Liestman. This auspicious debut stands on
such time-tested strength as separates one-hit wonders from premiere
performers whose trademark is staying power.
Titled The Rule, this tour-de-force offering brandishes a rich store
of inventive material. Each cut smacks of a signature sound. Not one
song rehashes another. As for the style, theres an overriding reggae
flavor, but, to reiterate, dont limit Liestman to one bag. For
instance, the engaging ballad Three comes with that one-drop backbeat
and island spawned scatting liberally seasoned with sweet, old-school
R&B. Indeed, an indication of how the selections go on the whole. Some
lean close to the reggae bone (One Dollar, Burning Cry, Darling Eyes).
Some are heavier on smooth soul (High Heels, Keep This Love Alive).
And there are departures like the funkified rocker Something Bad and
pop-tinged See You Again. All in all, there isnt a wasted track.
You can never tell whats going to crossover from Indie status to
mainstream standing. Clearly, given a level field, High Heels could do
it. Immediately, its unforgettable, a laid back, mood-inducing gem.
Right along the lines of The Rascals classic Groovin and La La Means I
Love You by the legendary Delfonics, this is one of those songs thatre
made of pure magic. Youll always remember what was going on in your
life the first time you heard it. Against a textured backdrop of lush
chords and sparse, ethereal guitar, Liestmans hip-slung vocal
wonderfully understates the case, entreating, It doesnt matter which
clothes you put on/The only reason that Ive written this song/
Is that when you put your high-heeled shoes on/
You look like an angel/I can barely hold on. It would take Smokey
Robinson to put it any better.
On top of which, heres the personnel. Ryan Liestman on keyboards,
guitar, bass and drum programs. Songbird par excellence Kari Shaw
sharing background vocals with him. The ever-in- demand Serge Akou on
bass, along with Sonny Thompson. Michael Bland (Prince, Soul Asylum)
finessing the drums to a tasty tee. Mike Scott (Prince, Lauren Hill)
subtly superb on guitar. Co-producing the sessions with Liestman (and
sitting in on keys) is recording veteran Tommy Barbarella (Prince,
Mavis Staples).
Its unavoidable that some will grouse that this blond, braided White
man is fronting, singing in, as it were, blackface. Liestman doesnt
let it dent his fender. The way I sing and the way I write, he readily
states, is something that I have no control over. It would be easier
in some ways if I wrote and played punk rock or heavy metal. That
isn't me. I didn't choose R&B or reggae, [they] chose me. I am not
trying to be something I am not. I just perform and write music that
moves me and expresses my feelings best. No doubt: check it out and
see or, more to the point, hear for yourself.
He readily acknowledges having had enough sense to learn from
venerable sources. My reggae vocal influences are Bob Marley, Beres
Hammond, Ali Campbell (UB40) and Freddie McGregor to name a few. When
it comes to R&B, I don't think anyone has had more impact on me than
Sam Cooke. [And]
Marvin Gaye, Prince and Sly Stone. If youre going to get it from
somewhere, it may as well be from the top.