Frankie V and The Lonely Club album "Play The Blues" Review!

Artist: Frankie V and The Lonely Club

Album: Play The Blues

Released: 2025

Artist Website: https://www.frankievandthelonelyclub.com/

Frankie V and The Lonely Club return to the scene with a straight up blues release consisting of ten well put together tracks that hit the spot for the blues fan that likes it all....Chicago, Texas, Mississippi and the rock and roll side of the music as well. The album occasionally steers slightly out of the straight blues genre but never too far that the traditionalist will lose interest.

The album kicks off with a classic slow burn, Purple Heart Blues, that sets the pace for the blues party that's coming down the tracks. A reverb drenched guitar and smoky vocal compliments the pocketed band that is laying down the groove like it owes them money. The presence of a tenor sax in the rhythm section adds to the authenticity of the recording that would be right at home in any blues house.

So Long Ago is another slow burner that walks the lines between the blues and Doo Wop just about as gracefully as it can be done. A wonderful arrangement that has dynamics to spare is the ground floor on this one. The guitar tone on the tasteful solo is a throwback to when amps were over driven just enough to be sweet, but not so much that it loses the hurt. Frankie V's playing is always concise, to the point and never overstated. Again, the presence of the sax takes this recording into oldies territory which is a wonderful listen no matter how old one is!

An acoustic Mississippi Delta influenced piece entitled The Roller is a pleasant surprise. A droning acoustic guitar sets the hypnotic quality of this cut. Short and sweet at just over two minutes is where this little masterpiece falls. Anything more than the truth is too much, and this song embraces that mantra impeccably. If Chuck Berry taught us anything it is get to the point and get out. No fluff, no filler and no self indulgence here!

Another acoustic piece, Chili Pepper Blues caught my ear at first listen. An instrumental with a slide guitar part that emotes at every turn. The slide has a way of finding those notes that wouldn't make the cut in a perfect pitch world...thank God.  It's the tiny little spaces in between the notes that competent slide players seem to live in. That's where the grit is. Lots of modern day slide players seem to have lost that ear for the imperfections that are simply perfect. It's not meant to be pretty, it's meant to be the blues. 

Hard Habit is the song that I feel encapsulates the overall vibe of the record. A mid tempo shuffle with a classic bass line that lays it all in the right spot. It's how this band flirts with the 50's Rock and Roll approach but never pushes it too far from the blues simultaneously. This is a cut that would be right at home on a Southside Johnny record as well. It's that mix of all things soulful that this "blue eyed soul " band excels at.

I was pleasantly surprised when a straight blues record came across my desk from Frankie V and The Lonely Club. The band did the genre justice by putting their fingerprint on the classic blues changes. Their ability to roll the soul and oldies influence reminded me of how Magic Sam was a perfect mix of Motown and Chicago blues. This is a very well done production on all fronts.

Check out the interview below!

Who are your musical and non-musical influences?My biggest musical influences are, #1 Duane Allman, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, early Eric Clapton

What album has had the greatest impact on your life as a musician? Live at the Fillmore East, Allman Brothers and Electric Ladyland, Jimi Hendrix.

 Is there a particular song that has resonated with you for a long time? Statesboro Blues, Born Under a Bad Sign

What’s your favorite accomplishment as a musician thus far?  Meeting my producer Vince Sanchez and having my music distributed to a large audience

Tell me about your favorite performance in your career.Playing on the Delta

What's the best piece of advice another musician ever gave you?Play half of what you hear in your head, play to the song.

What's new in the recording of your music? Returning to my Blues Roots

What inspires you to write the music you write?Guitar licks pop into my head and then lyrics seem to follow. Interesting story, for the song Reposado, I was reading a Tequila review and the song just flowed out.

What made you want to play the instrument you play?  Watching Trini Lopez on Ed Sullivan, mainly it was the guitar he was playing, still trying to find one. 

How does your latest album differ from any of your others in the past? This ones ALL blues

Are there any musicians who inspire you that are not famous? What qualities do you admire about them?First and foremost, Rich Sylvester, my keyboard player. I've known him since elementary school and we've always played together. He's my sounding board for my songs and arrangements.My son in law, he's very creative also Gary Evett, he was meant to play guitar and it was inspiring to watch.

Tell me what your first music teacher was like. What lessons did you learn from them that you still use today?Ron Oliveras, 8th grade, Larmers House of Music. He organized us musicially and got us out playing. He'd also sneak me into bars to watch his band play.

If you could play anywhere or with anyone in the world, where or with who would it be?I'd love to play with Duane Allman or Joe Walsh. A gig would be a Day on the Green at the Oakland Coliseum

If you had to choose one... live performance or studio work, which do you prefer and why?  I love making records, being able to build a song part by part. Choosing just the right guitar for the part.

What is your favorite piece of gear and why? Hands down my Custom Crook Guitar that was made just for me, everything fitted just for my hands.

What do you like most about your new album? My guitar tones. My engineer Brad Barth has worked with me for 25 years at his studio Audio Voyage and he works really hard to get the sound that's in my head onto the recording. He has a lot of patience while I try a boatload of guitars.

What artists do you enjoy listening to nowadays? Tom Bukovac, he's the #1 studio guitarist on the planet. He's all over countless Nashville recordings.Brad Paisley's another one.Robert Randolph too.

What's next for your band?Wait to see how this album performs and they soldier on.