Jimmy Ray's eponymous debut is a stylish fusion of rockabilly, alternative singer/songwriter and postmodern irony. Although
Ray relies a little too much on style -- his tributes to rockabilly and Vegas are born of kitsch, not affection -- his charisma rears its head sporadically, as on the infectious "Are You Jimmy Ray?" and "I Got Rolled." These moments are almost entertaining enough to make
Ray's posturing forgivable, but he'll have to tame his smirk and concentrate on songwriting in order to sustain himself through a second album. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine