The Blue Rubys

continued

But here's the thing — the music has enough subtleties to keep them listening, too. There's almost always some harmony singing happening, and Neff is a guitarist capable of pleasant surprises. The band can move close to modern country or turn toward punk-pop without losing its basic sound, and you get the feeling each individual member is bringing something to the mix. The contrast between Nicole Marie's girl-group vocals and Neff's more full-throated turns in the lead is effective. Several of the musicians have bounced around the local scene for a while: Neff (who like Nicole Marie comes from Chelsea) is a veteran of various local rock and country bands, including the Gigantics, and he says his early background was entirely in country music. Hinz was most recently a member of Chrome Mali.

There is, in short, a lot going on when the Blue Rubys play, and they've boiled it all down to a sharp and compact set of moves. And that makes them a new band to watch.

[Review published March 2008]