It was a tricky time figuring out who to feature for my first blog post on Musigator, until stumbling upon J.R. Reyne ’s latest release, Go On Easy, Vol. 2. The sounds grabbed me right away, hit me right in that special music spot, and from there the search led to the simple but awesome video for “Casino.”

An Australian musician, Reyne also acts and has worked on Australian TV shows. His sound is a bit like Creedence Clearwater Revival and Queens of the Stone Age had a baby together. On some songs, there’s also a smidgeon of the late-great Chris Cornell’s vocal style thrown in for good measure.

A guitar sound with real grit will always stand out to me, and Reyne knows how to play the guitar just that way. It’s that dirty, grimy, determined, beat-the-heck-out-of-your-own-guitar sound, and it’s all over Reyne’s latest album. “Casino” is a bit more laid back than what you’ll hear from Go On Easy, Vol. 2, but “Casino” still gives a great sense of Reyne’s sound.

A Roll of the Dice

The “Casino” video is a time-lapse recording of a highway drive, but the simple concept fits perfectly. You just watch the road and let the beat waft over.

The song starts with a hypnotic, ringing guitar part, and a walking guitar bassline. There’s some soothing slide guitar bits, whooping vocals to get you in the mood, soft backing vocals, and a satisfying but not overdrawn guitar solo. There’s a zany, slightly crazed feel to the whole song, like being on a journey you’re not sure the end of, which is appropriate, given the song title. It’s a song to make gambles to, and not necessarily of the monetary kind.