Michael Fracasso – Red Dog Blues

Whether hes having fun or being deadly serious, on Red Dog Blues Michael Fracasso is the epitome of a wordsmith. Every song clicks lyrically and, funny or serious, the most obvious thing about them is that they all truly mean something to Fracasso; theres never a feeling that these are half-drunk ideas written on a wet bar napkin or goofy last-minute disc fillers. Whether hes making a backhanded social comment in There Goes The Neighborhood, mourning a deceased pet in the title track, or wildly celebrating love in Naked Fool, Fracasso always nails the phrase and masters the meter, with sly, grin-on-your-face observations such as, Shes got a kind disposition but shes tough as nails/Sweet as a cake in the county jail. The beauty of it all is that Fracassos well-drawn personals ring absolutely true.