Album Review: Julianna Riolino, All Blue

Julianna Riolino is an integral part of Daniel Romano's Outfit, a wonderful band who by the end of you reading this sentence have released another new studio album and are working on another. Romano's proficiency might leave little time for side solo projects but fortunately a full-length album has arrived following her 2019 J.R. EP. And it's screaming for year-end lists inclusion!

From the opening Riolino's folksy, down-to-earth pipes bring to mind Emmylous Harris and Julie Miller on the sweet "If I Knew Now." But she's just getting warmed up with "Isn't It A Pity" a tasty gem recalling a Stevie Nicks deep cut. The stellar arrangements and carefree nature on nuggets like the New Pornographers-ish "Lone Ranger" and "You" soar as does the ballad "Hark!"

Riolino's old-school country strengths come in spades during, er, "Queen Of Spades" which is simply stunning. In fact most of the material here is worthy of her third or fourth album given the maturity, passion and precision she brings to each track. Toss in some feel good ditties in the homestretch like the breezy "Why Do I Miss You" and you have yourself an album that's more than okay and much more than wow!

All Blue was released October 14, 2022.
Listen to it here.