Rich O’ Toole released his 8th studio album, “Ghost“, on June 21st, four years after the brilliant “New York” (reviewed here on this blog). The 12 songs of this record were written or cowritten by the Houston native artist.
“Need You To Stay“, cowritten with the brilliant Texan artist Jade Marie Patek, is a splendid song, perfectly representative of Rich O’ Toole’s style, catchy, with both country and rock vibes. Undoubtedly one of the best songs of the album.
“4th Of July“, cowritten with Britt Lloyd, is also particularly outstanding. Very catchy, it’s a song that I’ve been listening to all along the summer. “4th of July” is undoubtedly a new standout among Rich O’ Toole’s long list of gems, that includes “God & George Strait“, “Texas Queen“, “Mississippi Baby” or the fantastic “American Steel“.
“Texas is My Home“, a wonderful tribute to Rich O’ Toole’s Texan roots, is another standout, with wonderful guitar and drums. If one day I’m lucky enough to go on a trip to Texas, it’s undoubtedly one of those songs that I’ll have on repeat on the road. Don’t forget to check out its amazing music video (you’ll find the link below).
“That Hill Country Sound” is another amazing song, with brilliant songwriting. Listening to this gem, you have all about Rich O’ Toole’s roots, and influences, from breakfast tacos to Texan artists Robert Earl Keen, Joe Ely and Lyle Lovett.
“Last Laugh Samantha” is a splendid and nostalgic song about a former lover, with brilliant lyrics, as is the beautiful love song “Love On A Sunday“, and of course the excellent title track, cowritten with Mack Damon.
You had all the love in the world and I looked the other way
Was it greed, was it necessity, the 7 sins got in the way
“Last Laugh Samantha”
Rich O’ Toole’s fantastic cover of “John O’ Reilly” is a wonderful tribute to Charlie Robison, who sadly left us one year ago. The way that Rich O’ Toole sings it is undoubtedly one of the most poignant parts of this album.
“Low Hanging Fruit“, that what released as a single before the album, and “Blue Sage Road” are another evidences of Rich O’ Toole’s talent as a songwriter.
There were a lot of brilliant albums released all along the summer, but none of them made me forget Rich O’ Toole’s new LP. “Ghost” is an authentic, personal, relatable and wonderfully written album.
Nicolas Davelu
Country Music France 