Bleedin' Black and White
Ruff Patch Music
Release Date: 2008
Download it at iTunes!
Lee Sinclair grew up under the influence of MTB in Jonesville, SC (about 30 miles from Spartanburg). His Mom began buying Tucker albums when the debut was released so the band was always a huge influence on Lee. While most kids from his neck of the woods wanted to play baseball for the Braves or football for the Cowboys, Lee wanted to play "drums for Tucker!" That dream nearly came to fruition on a couple of occasions and though the timing was never quite right, he did play on both Face Down in the Blues and Gospel. His style is a natural fit because as a teen in the early 90s he took lessons from Paul Riddle. He was later hired to teach at Paul's drum shop in Hendersonville, NC. He's a multi-instrumentalist and earned a Bachelor's degree in Music from Limestone College.
His band, Nasty Nedd, released "It's Tough To Be Me" in 1996. Rusty Milner and Tim Lawter both had a hand in producing/engineering it and Jerry Eubanks played on it. It's an incredible CD (as reviewed here several years ago :) Lee was the band's drummer and co-wrote several songs. Lee recently released his first solo CD, "Bleedin' Black and White" and it doesn't disappoint! It breezy, infectious tunes are balanced with several ballads and rockers. Tucker alum Tim Lawter and Ronald Radford appear on almost every song. Tim also assists with engineering and mixing and Rusty Milner mastered it. Lee's talent as a songwriter shines as he and his vocals are easy on the ears. The musicianship is excellent. The combination results in an album that demands attention!
Lost and Lonesome has a driving tempo and lyrics that tell the tale of a man getting dumped - and he realizes there's pretty much no one else to blame but himself. It's a great song with pedal steel, piano and the guitar work of Ronald Radford.
The upbeat tempo rocks on and this time the message is about putting that girl that broke your heart behind you, as in I'm On My Way. Great hooks highlight the song along with some nice guitar passages. The pace slows down with the heart-felt Bound and Determined. Steel guitar, piano and organ all add a lonesome touch. Kim Blackwood provides the female perspective on this duet.
Alone in a Crowd is a self-evaluation of a guy trying to figure things out and I'm pretty sure a lot of fans will be able to relate to this one! The driving guitar makes it a pleasing inquiry even if no answers are offered! lol
The ballad Doghouse Rose carries a heavy heart. The lyrics are poignant, reflective and bitter-sweet. The Honky Tonkin' beat of Two Different is a humorous romp at the expense of a man whose "barely average at best" and has not just one, but two set of female woes - and it's just too damn funny. The country feel continues with Rock and a Hard Place and then Maria rocks hard with the tale of a girl in her 30s "with ordinary dreams" and an let's just say an interesting past. Summer Rain is a lonesome and bluesy song about that one special woman... and it's as touching as a sweet summer rain.
Cowboys is an ode to Frank and Jesse James which could have been inspired by the biopic The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Acoustic guitars and fiddle capture the mood of this tale perfectly. It's a classic western song. The freight train pace of Who Is Who is sure to get an audience on their feet and the lyrics are sure to bring a smile to the face of anyone who's been dissed by lady luck. The CD hits fifth gear with in a lusty tribute to a hot little number whose love is like Fire and Gasoline. It's a great rock and roll number that stamps an exclamation point on a CD that's a definite winner.
Great songs are windows into the writer's soul. Lee opens himself up and lays it on the line. I thoroughly enjoy this CD from beginning to end and I think you will too!
- Craig Cumberland
Click on the links below for more info or to buy the CD (also available on iTunes!):