2 Aug 2019
Twins Renee (guitar) and Michele (drums) DeSisto tell stories about women’s everyday lives as Americana duo Renele. For a taste of the sisters’ take on country-rock, check out Interrupted, a new six-song release crossing the blues-rock vision of Bonnie Raitt with the common-sense storytelling of The Judds.
Southern rock opener “Someone Else is Gonna Love You” proves this is no ramshackle band trying to catch a break. Instead, Renele sounds like a tight and focused unit on this stomper and two equally rocking songs with Miranda Lambert levels of sass: “If I Ain’t Broke, Don’t Try and Fix Me” and “Don’t Need to Take It Like a Man.”
Hard-hitting examples of the band’s country-rock roots make up just half of the album. There’s also the sunshiny country tune “He Loved Me with Those Eyes,” folky throwback “Would It Have Been So Bad,” and the slowed-down ballad “Why Come Home.” While the rock and blues-infused numbers put over the sisters as musicians, their lower tempo material magnifies those blood harmonies—That special bond between singing families heard on classic recordings of The Carter Family, The Everly Brothers, The Carpenters, and numerous others. It’s hard to describe beyond those sweeping terms, but there really is something special about family singing groups, whether you discover them on Saturday at a local bar or during a Sunday morning church service.
Renee’s husband Tom MacLear—a bandmate or songwriter for Rod Stewart, Concrete Blonde, and Annie Lennox—produced and performed on the album. Additional performers include Dave Pearlman (Fool’s Gold) Larry Zack (Jackson Browne), and Billy Watts (Carlene Carter). Supporting cast aside, this unquestionably is an album by women, for women.
