Review by Joseph Timmons : IndiePulse Music Journalist
With the release of her latest album Sundown Rising, Denise La Grassahas cemented her place in the world of Blues Music. From her humble beginnings in Chicago, Denise traveled, performed and earned her fame, step by step, when in 2023 she found her place in the scene and has firmly rooted herself on the stages of America, and beyond.
Sundown Rising moves La Grassa further into what she calls “my take on the blues.” The title is a nod to historical “sundown towns.” Though no longer officially ‘a thing,’ she argues that the poor and marginalized, disproportionally people of color, are still cast aside in a country of abundance. She also takes a sassy swipe at social media, at politicians, and at nitpickers in a world of normalized mass shootings.
It is her hope that Sundown Rising brings awareness to social topics and preaches that love transcends all. One highlight, the gospel-tinged Hope in Love, reminds us that love “Is what we live for/Is what we die for/Is what we give for.”
In Review: Sundown Rising by Denise La Grassa
The opening and title track Sundown Rising speaks to, as mentioned the downtrodden, the forgotten and those trampled under foot of the political and economical machine that runs out of control and divides our people and cultures. Denise then takes us into the next trac with a traditional blues meter, None of Your Business is a slap to social media, originally a way to communicate now brings people’s nastiness into a global view.
Hope in Love is an upbeat and poppin’ track, evangelizing her inner feelings about what’s going down. In her song Key to the Highway, we move into a slow rhythm blues “hitting the road” blues, sometimes going back to the beginning can free you to find your future. Vision of Good Rule Makers with the politics of the day, the dissent in our nation, the finger pointing, the blame staging and the mudslinging, this is a commentary on our politicians, the 2 faced Washington elite.
The Door, this is a song of hope, a “your day will come” and your dreams will become reality, with this song Denise reaches out to take your hand, and heart and lifts you up. Sweet Talk with its bright and bouncy beat brings it all up in the house. The track Quit Your Whining is another melodic rant about the “Karens” of the internet, those people that find joy in spreading sorrow.
The final song of this 9-track album Loving For Love’s Sake beat heavy, big and bouncy, full of life, this is another song of “brotherly love” reminds my of a phrase “it doesn’t hurt to be a good person”, taking the time to lift a person up takes less time than breaking a person down.
Sundown Rising moves La Grassa’s further into what she calls “my take on the blues.” The gumbo of blues, roots, rock, and soul inspirations is obvious in her songwriting. But one can also hear her jazz background augmenting a fresh sound in today’s roots-rock universe. That vibe and her powerful voice have already captured the attention of Chicagoans at venues including Epiphany Center for the Arts, House of Blues, Hard Rock Café, Montrose Saloon, and Phyllis’ Musical Inn, among others. Blues fans at haunts in Milwaukee and downstate Illinois are also now paying attention. They too have become believers in this unlikely ‘North of 40’ journey.
www.facebook.com/DeniseLaGrassaMusic
Cover image from artist’s Facebook Page
