Only Living Boy - Hide Nothing REVIEW

Hide Nothing blazes out of the speakers with the opening track, ‘Lonely Puppy Blues.’ This song is both lyrically silly and serious in tone and sets up the listener for a stellar collection of songs from a band that is full of the right combination of machismo in a music scene that is desperate for variety.

And variety is exactly what this album offers. These thirteen tracks cover rock, blues, alternative, punk, and even a bit of reggae. This is also a band that you get a real sense that they have control over the music they produce. When the opening song shifts gears into a reggae jam, it does so with a smooth and natural transition.

I especially enjoyed the blues riffs of ‘Demon Shuffle Part 1’ which is slow and deliberate as it glides into the heavier and much crunchier ‘Demon Shuffle Part 2.’ The entire album has a good flow to it as it moves up and down in tempo and continues a solid energy throughout.

Only Living Boy come from Northwest New Jersey and has been together in its current incarnation since 2008. They take their name from the Paul Simon song, “Only Living Boy in New York” and released their first self titled album in August of 2008. The band seems to tour constantly at around 200 shows a year over the last two years and 2011 has the potential to be a very big year for this trio.

Hide Nothing was recorded and produced by Paul Ritchie, guitarist/song writer for Jersey shore based rock band The Parlor Mob (Road Runner Records). The album can be purchased here.

Only Living Boy
Hide Nothing
Release Date: June 21, 2011
Track Listing:
1. Lonely Puppy Blues
2. Sunny Day Man
3. Hide Nothing
4. Demon Shuffle Part 1
5. Demon Shuffle Part 2
6. Bag of Bullets
7. Ronny Ronzoni
8. Open You Up
9. I Hear Music
10. Family of Ghosts
11. Marbles
12. Priority One
13. My Heart is Burning

Rating: 4 / 5

Album Review By: Mark.HaTe

"Hide Nothing" by: Only Living Boy by Hub City Music