Grey DeLisle / Les Greene Grey & Greene (CD)

(Humminbird Records) 10 tracks - digisleeve - Produced and arranged by James Intveld.

Grey & Greene was produced by rockabilly veteran and multi-instrumentalist James Intveld, with original songs written by Americana/alt-country star Grey DeLisle (three co-written by Intveld), and showcases the vocal talents of DeLisle and Les Greene, who Grey befriended in 2024 when they did a Christmas song together called "I Don't Want Nothing" that sparked a desire to collaborate further. Some folks know Greene from his incendiary vocals as Little Richard in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis, or from his captivating performances on American Idol's Season 16, but his bread and butter is his own Les Greene and the Swayzees. This high-octane outfit bring their own take on soul and R&B-flavored rock n' roll with performances that regularly leave audiences with jaws dropped, in a daze from Greene's otherworldly talent.

Pairing that powerhouse with Americana sweetheart DeLisle guarantees something special. The duo trade off vocal duties throughout the record on tracks like "Shake That Thing," "Go Go Go," and "Home Wrecker," the latter a clever reimagining of DeLisle's 2002 classic. Here, Greene steps into the title role, reimagining the character into a "devil in some tight leather," in place of the original vixen who was a "devil in a tight sweater."

The flavors of classic country, rockabilly, Brill Building pop and soul create something for everybody, and one can easily imagine DeLisle & Greene's set at Stagecoach and Coachella, the Grand Ol' Opry and South x Southwest, Boots in the Park and your local hipster bar jukebox. We all wanna shake that thang, and DeLisle and Greene give us all the infectious inspiration to do it.

There are tender moments as well. Ballads like "I'm Gonna Let You Call Me Baby," "Mariposa," (featuring Deke Dickerson on guitar) and "That's All" allow the beauty and uniqueness of these voices to shine. Anyone nursing a recent heartbreak might want to skip "That's All"--or, alternatively, put it on endless repeat. Greene's gorgeous, desperate pleas are the perfect showcase for those remarkable pipes. Put on the big headphones, shed a tear or two... then come back for more of the thang-shaking, because Grey & Greene may have just become the soundtrack of your summer!