During his short-lived Blue Period, Pablo Picasso painted The Old Guitarist, one of his most famous and enduring works. A portrait of an isolated, bent and aging musician bathed in monochromatic blue and holding a dark brown parlour guitar, its striking allegory of a struggling artist has influenced countless musicians since its creation in 1903. Famously, Paul McCartney tried to copy the chords played by the portrait's subject for his "Two Fingers" song, which eventually found its way into Kanye West's "All Day."
The Old Guitarist seems rather important to Julianna Riolino as well. Not only does the cover art for her solo debut All Blue appear to be an homage to the painting, but thematically she's also working in her own Blue Period, searching for clarity in the murky, melancholic unknown.
Prior to recording All Blue, Riolino helped restore the stained-glass windows in St Michaels' Cathedral in Toronto. The broken shards reflected her own cracked memories of destruction, hope, ambivalence, and certainty. Ruminating on all these things, All Blue seems to find sanctity in the rays of fractured light: "A complexion of endless delusion / Pointing to our possible conclusions / The colour I feel / My mind's spinning reel / I'm nothing but a hue," sings Riolino in "Memory of Blue."
Though the album wrestles intensely with the deliverance of morality, All Blue never feels weighed down by its subject matter. Second track "Isn't It A Pity" paints All Blue with an amber tone; Roddy Carlyle's hyperactive bass and the swaying acoustic guitar melody make it one of the breeziest songs on the album. Riolino's celestial lyrics intentionally build into a deconstructed love song with no straightforward narrative: "Astral projections of our future in a rush / Like one bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," sings Riolino before an all-encompassing electric guitar solo carries the track into eternity.
Sonically, All Blue is immaculate. Aaron Goldstein's production gives the album a timeless, golden sound, tying it tightly to Americana and Riolino's early musical education in rollicking country music. You can hear the influence of Emmylou Harris all over the record — simple chord patterns rooted in blues and soul, beautiful and confident vocals and vivid, reflective lyrics — making All Blue feel like a long-lost Americana masterpiece.
Although All Blue is her debut solo LP, It's little surprise that Riolino sounds so refined. As a member of polymath Daniel Romano's orbit, she's spent the past few years honing the sort of 'live-band perfection' that can only come from being part of Romano's unrelenting, phenomenal backing ensemble, the Outfit. Bringing all that knowledge, wisdom and experience with her, Riolino's made a record that's clear and textured, bombastic and muted, accessible yet challenging. Most importantly though, All Blue is effortlessly cool.
Finding humour and joy amidst despair is a prominent theme of the record, and it's felt nowhere greater than on "Queen of Spades." The song finds Riolino artfully deploying her degree from Dolly Parton's renegade school of heart-broken shit-talk to stomp over her detractors; she's upfront, brash, and full of tenacity. "May I call your spade a spade? / May I tell it like it is? / It hurts me to the deepest depths / Feeling second-hand chagrin," sings Riolino sarcastically over some Pete Drake-rivaling pedal steel.
The most shining example of Riolino's capacity to confront degradation with tranquility is found in the middle of All Blue with "Hark!" The triumphant hymn starts slowly with a laid-back drum beat, electric guitar and subtle piano. "Are you bearing witness to my being / Or are you seeing right through?" Riolino asks a cheating lover. As the story evolves, the song eventually builds into an angelic chorus of live band rock and roll. "I know you think I'm wasting all my days / The only thing I'm wasting time on is anything that's on your mind," resolves Riolino.
Unlike The Old Guitarist, Julianna Riolino never fully settles into the simplicity of nihilism. Instead of giving in and giving up, she keeps moving, forging a path ahead. She leans into the grief to find sparks of hope — the bright-eyed interplay of those contrasting shades is at the heart of All Blue.
(You've Changed)The Old Guitarist seems rather important to Julianna Riolino as well. Not only does the cover art for her solo debut All Blue appear to be an homage to the painting, but thematically she's also working in her own Blue Period, searching for clarity in the murky, melancholic unknown.
Prior to recording All Blue, Riolino helped restore the stained-glass windows in St Michaels' Cathedral in Toronto. The broken shards reflected her own cracked memories of destruction, hope, ambivalence, and certainty. Ruminating on all these things, All Blue seems to find sanctity in the rays of fractured light: "A complexion of endless delusion / Pointing to our possible conclusions / The colour I feel / My mind's spinning reel / I'm nothing but a hue," sings Riolino in "Memory of Blue."
Though the album wrestles intensely with the deliverance of morality, All Blue never feels weighed down by its subject matter. Second track "Isn't It A Pity" paints All Blue with an amber tone; Roddy Carlyle's hyperactive bass and the swaying acoustic guitar melody make it one of the breeziest songs on the album. Riolino's celestial lyrics intentionally build into a deconstructed love song with no straightforward narrative: "Astral projections of our future in a rush / Like one bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," sings Riolino before an all-encompassing electric guitar solo carries the track into eternity.
Sonically, All Blue is immaculate. Aaron Goldstein's production gives the album a timeless, golden sound, tying it tightly to Americana and Riolino's early musical education in rollicking country music. You can hear the influence of Emmylou Harris all over the record — simple chord patterns rooted in blues and soul, beautiful and confident vocals and vivid, reflective lyrics — making All Blue feel like a long-lost Americana masterpiece.
Although All Blue is her debut solo LP, It's little surprise that Riolino sounds so refined. As a member of polymath Daniel Romano's orbit, she's spent the past few years honing the sort of 'live-band perfection' that can only come from being part of Romano's unrelenting, phenomenal backing ensemble, the Outfit. Bringing all that knowledge, wisdom and experience with her, Riolino's made a record that's clear and textured, bombastic and muted, accessible yet challenging. Most importantly though, All Blue is effortlessly cool.
Finding humour and joy amidst despair is a prominent theme of the record, and it's felt nowhere greater than on "Queen of Spades." The song finds Riolino artfully deploying her degree from Dolly Parton's renegade school of heart-broken shit-talk to stomp over her detractors; she's upfront, brash, and full of tenacity. "May I call your spade a spade? / May I tell it like it is? / It hurts me to the deepest depths / Feeling second-hand chagrin," sings Riolino sarcastically over some Pete Drake-rivaling pedal steel.
The most shining example of Riolino's capacity to confront degradation with tranquility is found in the middle of All Blue with "Hark!" The triumphant hymn starts slowly with a laid-back drum beat, electric guitar and subtle piano. "Are you bearing witness to my being / Or are you seeing right through?" Riolino asks a cheating lover. As the story evolves, the song eventually builds into an angelic chorus of live band rock and roll. "I know you think I'm wasting all my days / The only thing I'm wasting time on is anything that's on your mind," resolves Riolino.
Unlike The Old Guitarist, Julianna Riolino never fully settles into the simplicity of nihilism. Instead of giving in and giving up, she keeps moving, forging a path ahead. She leans into the grief to find sparks of hope — the bright-eyed interplay of those contrasting shades is at the heart of All Blue.
