Renele - Interrupted (click on image to watch video)

19 July 2019 

Renele is a different kind of duo project in this year of Americana duos. This is not a husband and wife or male and female team. Renele is a twin sister Americana project from Renee and Michele DiSisto. In fact, weighing in at only six songs, we should technically consider this and EP. Nonetheless, we know that hard work and preparation went into these half dozen songs, four of them written by the sisters with two from experienced music veteran and Renee’s husband, Tom MacLear ( Rod Stewart, Annie Lennox, Ry Cooder) who produced, recorded and played many of the instruments.

Renee sings lead and plays acoustic guitar while Michele plays drums and provides backing vocals. MacLear plays numerous instruments while Billy Watts (Lucinda Williams, Carlene Carter)) adds lead guitar, Dave Pearlman (Fools Gold) mans the pedal steel and Larry Zack (drums) and Mark Indictor (fiddle) also contribute. That forms an impressive roster for a project that apparently took a little over six months to complete, likely due to scheduling studio time with these in-demand players. 

All of the songs pulsate with ringing electric and piercing slide guitars and the disc seems to really call out for a weeping country ballad which is sadly missing. Nonetheless, the strongest track is the one that most resembles a ballad, as it least begins that way, is “Why Come Home.” Not surprisingly it has released as a single with “He Loved Me With Those Eyes” as the other single. The lyrics to the former prove that the twins have the country approach well in hand – “Mama, I’m not getting/Married today/He done drunk his life away/What’s a girl to do/I gone packed up my truck/I could see those dogs /Staring at me in my rearview…”  As Steve Goodman and John Prine wrote in “She Never Called Me by My Name,” it has the requisite references to drinking, trucks, failed love, dogs, ….just about everything but a train. 

Renele is clearly not out to blaze new ground. Instead, they offer eminently listenable, punchy, upbeat stuff. Next, we hope to see a full-length album that demonstrates a bit more versatility but this grand entrance is just fine for starters. 

Jim Hynes is an independent contributor on music for several magazines, including Elmore and Country Standard Time. He has also written for Variety. He was a listener-supported public station(s) radio host for 25 years in CT, MI, NJ and PA. He is also a Live music host/Emcee at several national and regional venues.

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