On his 10th studio album, Libertyville, Ill.’s favorite son is once again associating with the drifters, dreamers, survivors and overlooked souls who’ve inhabited his work for decades. Blind And Surrounded (Rock Ridge) also marks the arrival of a new voice: Ike Reilly’s son Shane, who contributes six tracks and shares singing duties throughout. Shane’s brothers, Kevin and Mickey, also pitch in on background vocals
Recorded with longtime associates the Ike Reilly Assassination, Blind And Surrounded balances urgency and reflection, pairing their fearless leader’s vivid, road-worn imagery with his son’s thoughtful, melodic songwriting. And though the album isn’t explicitly about family, the father/son(s) dynamic brings added resonance to a collection of songs that are as deeply personal as they are broadly American.
Ike Reilly takes us through Blind And Surrounded.
—Hobart Rowland
1) “Life And Death In East Moline”
“The album begins in crisis. Somebody’s gone to the other side, and people are on the move—fueled-up, medicated and rolling through central Illinois at night to pay respects to the dead. Antiquated rituals and sacraments can’t get the dead to heaven, and they certainly can’t get anybody out of somewhere they don’t want to be.”
2) “Precious Cargo”
“An indie-pop love letter to Chicago. It’s about family, travel and having a home to return to. Strings, piano and a melody decorated with family vocals. Unlike ‘Life And Death In East Moline,’ this celebrates home and being where you want to be.”
3) “Do Your Best”
“In some ways a gambler’s lament, ‘Do Your Best’ is also a lament for anybody who’s been doubted or been counted out with the patronizing cliche, ‘Do your best.’ The main character is a lonely, modern gambler who can’t win at the casino—or in pursuit of temporary romance.”
4) “Searching For A Change”
“It’s hard to see your odyssey not pan out how you planned. With its unique wordplay, this poetic track addresses the need for personal change.”
5) “Dance Hall Beats”
“Initially, this was a farewell poem to a fallen idol. In its final version, it evolved into a composite of someone searching for acceptance in a strange or foreign place—stoned in the streets with strangers, a little chaos, dancehall music blasting from torn-up speakers as the searcher struggles to be more than just a tourist.”
6) “Who’s Been Hurting”
“This is an acknowledgment of someone’s pain and suffering—both personal and universal suffering. This and so many of Shane’s songs seem like they’ve existed forever, with timeless melodies and his comforting voice. ‘Who’s Been Hurting’ is such a beautiful and sorrowful song, and yet it’s still so hopeful. Shane’s delivery is wise and honest.”
7) “We Better Get Packed”
“‘The neighbors said they hadn’t seen anybody coming or going around there for some time.’ How many times have you heard that in some local-news broadcast? Sometimes people just up and take off. A threat, restlessness or maybe things don’t seem right—and it just might be time to flee. The unspoken force is unclear, but the groove and the chorus make it clear that it’s time to pack up your shit and leave. I really dig how the boys blow up the third and fourth verses with their gang background vocals and Phil Karnats’ rhythmic anti-guitar solo.”
8) “Bad Bad Man”
“A celebratory rave-up about how the forces of good and evil are in a battle within all of us. It’s the resignation of imperfection, cloaked in American mythology, with a sing-along chorus and a nod to the Clash.”
9) “Waiting For The Planes”
“Many of the lyrics in ‘Waiting For The Planes’ were taken from the script of a noir-ish film that was never completed. The opening line (‘The city’s got a pounding headache’) should’ve been an off-camera voiceover in a film as some cop or criminal is on the hunt. Here and now, the danger is division in America, with children heroically standing up against fascism sold as patriotism.”
10) “Ascot Blues”
“As far as production and arrangements go, this is probably the most traditional track on the album. Lyrically, it’s derivative of many songs that celebrate or decry nights drugging and drinking. A man wakes up compromised—oddly, with an ascot tied tightly around his neck—in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people. A night of recklessness that could’ve killed him gives way to thoughts of what dark secrets his death may reveal to a former lover.”
11) “New Bad News”
“It’s all about perseverance in the face of relentless personal setbacks and a barrage of uncontrollable bad news from the outside world. When shit is going south, you have a choice: You can either break down or you can break through.”
12) “Gone For Forever”
“So many of Shane’s songs on this album have a timelessness—melodically, sonically and thematically. This has all that. The vintage guitar sounds and reverb-soaked background vocals color this beautiful existential track. We all know we have such a short time to live, to love and to express love. Songs like this remind us to take nothing—or no one—for granted.”
