Sandy Rogers: "Tingling Blue" (2025) CD Review

The new Sandy Rogers album is one I'd been hearing about for a while, one I was excited to finally listen to. And I am thrilled to find that it lives up to my incredibly high expectations, even exceeds them. I suppose I should mention why my expectations were so high, aside from the obvious fact that Sandy Rogers is an incredible songwriter. First, there is the work of Paul Lacques, whom you likely know from I See Hawks In L.A., Double Naught Spy Car, and Rotondi. Paul was producing this album until his death in January of 2024. He was not only producing this album, but his playing is heard on most of the tracks, on both electric guitar and lap steel. He also wrote one of the songs. So that contributed greatly to my interest in this release and my high expectations. Then, when work started up on the album again, fellow I See Hawks In L.A. member Paul Marshall took over producing it. And his great bass work and backing vocals are present on these tracks. If that weren't enough to get me excited, fellow Hawks member Victoria Jacobs is on drums. So, yeah, I had very high expectations for this one. And it is a fantastic album. By the way, that cool photo on the album cover is by Sandy Rogers.

Sandy opens Tingling Blue with its title track, which is one of the few tracks that Paul Lacques does not play on. Billy Watts plays guitar on this one. You might know him from his work with Teresa James And The Rhythm Tramps, and also on albums by John Mayall, Laura Tate, and Matt Lomeo, among many others. He delivers some really good stuff here. And special guest Ray Bonneville plays harmonica here, adding some delicious work. "Something about picking up my guitar/Something about feeling like singing a tune," Sandy Rogers sings here. Ah yes! There is an easygoing country rock vibe here that is completely appealing. And what a cool vocal performance! "Nothing quite like climbing my mountain/Nothing quite like tingling, tingling through and through." Sandy Rogers wrote this track, and it is one of the album's many highlights. It is followed by a cover of Blackie Farrell's "One Of Those Kind," a song from his 2016 album Cold Country Blues. Sandy changes the gender of the person the song is about from female to male. Paul Lacques is on this track, and it is, as you'd expect, wonderful to hear new work from him. "Everything is blue, he's gone," Sandy sings early on in this track, and I can't help but think of Paul. Paul delivers some excellent work on guitar here, and Sandy delivers a really nice and nuanced vocal performance. Hers is a voice you can't help but fall in love with.

"Loving you is killing my heart," Sandy sings in "Lonesome Man," not holding back or mincing words at all. This is another original song, this track featuring Billy Watts on guitar. "I'm taking my stuff, getting rid of my phone/I made up my mind, now I'm ready to go." Yeah, sometimes it is clear that leaving is the answer. And she tells this guy directly, "You're gonna be a lonesome man/You're gonna be crying all night long." I love how she is both aching and sure of herself. We hear it all in her performance. And the music has an easygoing vibe that tells us that she is going to be just fine, and that she is almost certainly correct about how the poor bastard is going to feel once she's gone. That's followed by another original composition by Sandy Rogers, "Fun For Christmas." "I want something good going on," she sings here. Oh yes, so do we all, especially these days. "For Christmas, I want something fun." And I love the backing vocals echoing "For Christmas." Yes, I'll be adding this song to my holiday play list. But this is one of those rare Christmas songs that work the year round. "I want something wonderful to happen to us all/So pick up your mandolin, my sweet sister." Yes, exactly. Music is what will help us all. Paul Lacques performs on this track. "For Christmas, I want some peace and love."

"In Her Auto-mobile" begins with the sound effect of a car starting, before that cool country rhythm comes in and sets things in motion. This is another original composition by Sandy Rogers, and there is something playful about this one. "Rocking and rolling in the silver vinyl seat/Singing out the words to her favorite songs/Tapping her feet as she moves along." That's the mood I try to maintain while I'm in my car, particularly when I'm stuck in traffic. Paul Lacques delivers some great stuff on guitar, and there is a good little jam at the end, which I love. That's followed by a cover of Willy Tea Taylor's "You Found Me," which was the lead track on his 2015 album Knuckleball Prime. Interestingly, this track features the work of both Paul Lacques and Billy Watts, the only track they both appear on. And special guest Richie Lawrence plays accordion on this track. Richie Lawrence, as you probably recall, was in Rotondi with Paul Lacques. Sandy Rogers delivers an absolutely wonderful rendition, it having a somewhat more cheerful sound than the original, in part because of Richie's work. "Lots of trips into town/Lots of booze I'm trying to drown/I've got my friends to keep me up from down/But no one to put my arms around."

The album then returns to original material with "Marilyn," a song about Marilyn Monroe. This track features some great stuff by Paul Lacques on lap steel. And what a wonderful vocal performance by Sandy Rogers. "There's only two things worth living for/Only two things worth trying/One of them is love, and the other one is dying." That is followed by the album's final original composition by Sandy Rogers, "Turn Around." In this one, she sings, "Don't know who to trust/Everybody doesn't have a clue/Nobody knows what to do/Turn around/Close your eyes and see the joy/Turn around, turn around." There is such a good vibe to this one. It's making me feel better about the world. Part of it is that bass line. And there is that great stuff from Paul Lacques on lap steel. And Kim Lenz also plays electric guitar on this one, adding to the track's cheer. But mainly it is Sandy's vocal performance that makes this track stand out. "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy."

Then we get the Paul Lacques song, "Wild Bill," though interestingly this is one of the few tracks that he does not play on. Billy Watts is on guitar for this one. John David plays harmonica, helping to set the tone. It's an excellent and moving song. "My days of fun are through," Sandy sings at the beginning. But the lines that especially stand out for me are these: "I watch this sleepy fire/Winds howl across the coals/Not scared as I retire/In my bag of bones/Now I lay me down to sleep." This track has an undeniable beauty. Sandy Rogers then wraps up the album with a cover of Nick Gravenites' "Run Out Of West," a song that was included on his Kill My Brain album (where it is listed as "Ran Out Of West"). And there is another version out there where Nick Gravenites is backed by John Cipollina (of Quicksilver Messenger Service) on guitar and Merl Saunders (who played with Jerry Garcia) on keys, and that version is even better. That version is titled "Run Out Of West." Anyway, this rendition by Sandy Rogers is excellent, featuring some captivating work by Paul Lacques on lap steel. "It's you and me, baby/That's all we got."

CD Track List

1. Tingling Blue
2. One Of Those Kind
3. Lonesome Man
4. Fun For Christmas
5. In Her Auto-mobile
6. You Found Me
7. Marilyn
8. Turn Around
9. Wild Bill
10. Run Out Of West

Tingling Blue was released on May 22, 2025.