The Acquaintances Pleased to Meetcha!
(Independent)
Americlectic. It's a totally ace marketing term. I'm surprised no one else came up with it before. Hudson Valley trio the Acquaintances own it, both in terms of coinage and employment. The group's long-in-coming debut disc, Pleased to Meetcha!, bears the epithet out, opening and closing like a lighthearted Grateful Dead tribute before veering into solid NRBQ territory with a clutch of bar-band pop songs. Occasionally things veer a little too close to "da blooz," with "Venus and the Crescent Moon" copping half-baked Hot Tuna; but the handclap-driven "The Rose Knows" makes up with a harmony-laden, Rockpile-inspired delivery and taut, yet expansive soloing from guitarist Jeff Entin. The penultimate "Notes on the Door" is relaxed and lengthy, with clean six-string tones echoing Jerry Garcia's jazzier outings—a nice setup for the workingman's charm of the capstone, "Southern Folk." Drummer Larry Balestra and bassist Bob Blum complete the combo.
—Michael Eck
