Review Summary: "Through These Reins & Gone" is a strong debut, but the follow up "Tonight At The Arizona" features an even stronger set of songs recorded during the same sessions.
The now out of print "Through These Reins & Gone" marks the true debut of the Felice Brothers, made up here of Ian (vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica), James (vocals, accordion), and Simone (vocals, drums). While they had already recorded "iantown" it had featured little contribution from the other two brothers and was really more of an Ian Felice solo album.
While "Through These Reins & Gone" sounds drastically different from the brothers later, electric output it is just as high quality. The album opens with a blast of harmonica on "Trailer Song", a folky, up-beat tune whose bouncy rhythm hides the darkness of some of its lyrics. "My love was white as cocaine when they found her underneath the river bridge" croons elder brother Simone over simple acoustic guitar, accordion, and minimalist drum beat.
Next up are two Ian songs, "The Ballad of Lou the Welterweight" and "Hey Hey Revolver". The first is reminiscent of early Dylan songs like "Who Killed Davy Moore" in both subject matter and stripped down, acoustic guitar based sound. However Ian takes a fare less preachy and more personal approach to his tale of a boxer killed in the ring. The second tells the story of a man trying to support himself and his pregnant teenage daughter through only way he knows, armed robbery. "I'll put this shovel down, hire me on better ground. I can't afford no gas, I walk to work on the overpass" sings Ian as thunder rumbles in the background (the album was recorded in an abandoned theatre).
Simone takes over again with the beautiful, intimate "Your Belly In My Arms" followed by a contemplative folk tune "Got What I Need" sung by youngest brother James. The two continue to trade off songs for the next little while before Ian returns with "Roll on Arte", which was later made into the brothers' first video.
After that James and Simone sing a few more, including the beautiful "Mercy" and plaintive "Christmas Song" whose refrain, "Oh, I'm starting to find that I was not made for these times" could be the band's motto. The album closes with Ian’s beautiful, worn sounding "Going Going Gone".
"Through These Reins & Gone" is an exceptional debut album filled with simple but beautiful song writing that seems to come from another time but is also wonderfully contemporary. As it turned out the Felice Brothers would next album, "Tonight At The Arizona" would feature an even stronger collection of songs in the same vein.
