Chris Isaak – San Francisco Days

Not Elvis, not Roy Orbison with his blacked out Ray Bans and haunting falsetto, not even James Dean or Chet Baker, have created that tragically cool and ultra hip 50’s style better than Chis Isaak. And into that mix, Chris infuses a doomed sexual fatalism, with songs drenched in a ghostly reverb soaked , songs that exist more as the soundtrack for some black and white film noir, songs that create an image and a formate that allows Chris Isaak to be Chris Isaak.

Up to this point Chris has mixed lo-fi elements of rock n’ roll with rockabilly, creating songs that simmer. But here on San Francisco Days, Chris adds a bit of punch to the outing ... one where the mood has not necessarily changed, but the nuances of delivery have, and that sharpens this release, like going from a blend to a single malt, making this his most smooth, interesting and commanding album to date. All and all, on the first spin the album comes off ever so slightly conventional, but that’s just Chris’ way of drawing you in, lacing his lyrics with shimmering guitars, locked in tight dramatic drumming, along with an interplay of old and new styles and sounds, making for a well spent hour of your time. With that being said, on second and third spins, one finds an dark itchy intensity that allows the songs to emotionally wrap themselves around and engulf you, encapsulating an in-the-moment presence few artists are capable of achieving.

As to a fourth spin ... I’ll leave the description of that up to you.

Review by Jenell Kesler