It's hard to get a handle on what to call
Willy DeVille's multi-genre music, though AMG writer
Thom Jurek's description of "Spanish soul-inflected love songs" comes close. "Muddy Waters Rose Out of the Mississippi Mud" would be perfect for
Rusty Kershaw, God rest his soul, a nice complement to the laid-back cover of
Jay & the Americans' Top Three hit from 1964, "Come a Little Bit Closer" -- its presentation a wonderful nod to songwriters
Wes Farrell and
Bobby Hart. The evolution is startling 28 years after
Mink DeVille gave listeners "Let Me Dream if I Want To" on the classic punk LP
Live at CBGB's, and
DeVille emerges as a major interpreter. The four minutes and 31 seconds of
Bryan Ferry's "Slave to Love" may be one of the most distinct and unique adaptations of a
Ferry tune put on record to date. Outside of the covers, the other eight tracks are
Willy DeVille originals, "(Don't Have A) Change of Heart" liberally borrowing the melody from
Kenny Rogers' hit "Lucille." "Trouble Comin' Every Day in a World" slinks and lurks around the corner with another stylistic change, sounding a bit like that other
Willie from the same era, Bostonian
Willie "Loco" Alexander. A sticker on the CD says "First studio album in 5 years!" -- though wasn't his previous "studio" disc (not including the live albums)
Horse of a Different Color released in 2001? No matter;
Crow Jane Alley is a very respectable collection from this journeyman, starting off with the single "Chieva" and continuing with
DeVille's novel exploration of sound and clever merging of styles.