Dina Regine – Right On, Alright
http://www.dinaregine.com/

Rating: B+

One look at the album cover, and one listen to the horns, followed by her one-of-a-kind voice on the opening track “Gotta Tell You” and one is tempted to visualize this lady as the heroine in the next Austin Power’s movie!  She’s groooooovy, baby!

A few more spins through the tracks and it becomes clear, and rather quickly I might add, that this is one talented woman.  She has a bit of Beth Hart in her voice and a similar spunk in her attitude.  She’s a woman on a mission to get that music out of her soul, let it blast out into the light of day—or at least in the smoky confines of a New York City club—and set her songs free. 

On “Nothing Here” she is all over the early Rolling Stones sound on the chorus, while on her first single from the album “Dial My Number” she has that ultra sexy Motown groove thing going on.  Elsewhere, she dabbles in rock, country and everything in between.  The coolest thing is that Dina doesn’t just allow her influences to creep into her songs, she takes the flavor and feel and makes it a part of her musical vocabulary.  The song “I Gotta Tell You” is driven by her vocal delivery. Her voice is subdued, yet full of emotion.  The opening line to every verse grabs hold-a-yer-soul and refuses to let go.  “Broken” damn near makes this 225-pound rock critic cry while “Hurt Somebody” drips with rock and roll attitude and angst. 

Regine ain’t just a pretty face with a unique voice either, as she wrote and arranged these tunes… proving she not only has talent, but she has learned to play to her strengths.  This thing sounds fresh, but is oh so old school. 

She’s a clever one, she is! And why not, this is not her first rodeo.  She was buddies with Mike Bloomfield, she sang on Jimmy Cliff’s live album and she was told by Bruce Springsteen -after an audition to be one of his background singers- that she should be fronting her own band!

I suppose the musically correct term for this release would be ‘roots music’ but to me, it’s just Dina Regine music because, after all, she’s what makes this one so special.  

Track Listing

01. Gotta Tell You  
02. Dial My Number  
03. Can't Find You Anywhere  
04. Hurt Somebody  
05. Far Gone  
06. Until Tomorrow  
07. Fences  
08. Broken  
09. Right On, Alright
10. Nothing Here 
11. Wildest Days

By Jeb Wright