Richie Reinholdt

If you live in Montana and like bluegrass, you have likely seen Chad Fadely, Richie Reinholdt or Ted Lowe play at some point. The three instrumental wizzes have played together as a group for about a year and have released one fine album that is made up mostly of Reinholdt's original songs.

Each of the three performers (Fadely on mandolin, Reinholdt on guitar, and Lowe holding down the bass) gives a solid performance--you'll find no empty space here. Reinholdt's quirky lyrics and out-of-the-box chord progressions make this album interesting for bluegrass fans in search of something a little different. The two cover tunes on the album are pulled off exquisitely-Dylan or Young couldn't have done better! - Montana Rockies Bluegrass Association

The Acousticals' new C.D. features what Richie calls "Acoustic Americana". an apt moniker for the mostly-Reinholdt-penned bluegrassers. ballads, and old-timey songs. There's also a little psych-yourself-out nuance fueled by Reinholdt's imagination and the boy's fine pickin'.
The Missoula trio is songwriter-guitarist Reinholdt, a Montana music staple since his days with Live Wire Choir in the 70's; mandolinist Chad fadely, of the former missoula band Long Overdue and picker with the Flathead's Leftover Biscuits; and talented stand-up bass player and singer Ted Lowe, who also plays guitar with Missoula's Pinegrass.
The recording includes odd but workable chord structures, good storytelling from Reinholdt's nasal, Everly-sounding tenor, and superb, danceable rhythm. There are also covers of Bob Dylan ("Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues") and Neil Young ("Powderfinger").
Fadley's tasty mandolin kicks off the pertty pop-bluegrass inflections of "I Dunno,"; the plaintive and tender"Betty Lou" paints the high-school scenario of careless love and loveless marriage; youthful male fantasy is revisited in "The High Life" ("beers, weed, and girls").
The western-tinged "Sunset" canters along on gamblin', broken-dream lyrics. "Stray Raven" is an old-timey waltz wherein Reinholdt proceeds to flatten the heck out of his guitar break. Yeah!
"Insomnia" and "Voices in the Rain" caught my fancy. The former is a spooky, middle-of-the-night story, during that wee-hour time warp where fantasy becomes too lucid and sleep is elusive. Greta guitar and mandolin work factor into the mood.
"Voices in the Rain" is a jazzy, ghostly concoction of stormy FX where thew mind play's tricks on one's hearing, buttressed by more fine fretwork from the fellows.
All this good stuff was recorded, mixed and produced in 2007 at Reinholdt's own Animaltown Studios in Missoula. Visit the group at
www.richiereinholdt.com or
www.chadfadely.com

-Mariss McTucker - The Lively Times