Ruby James kicks off the disc with "Voodoo Queen," and in the track's opening moments, there is a kind of twisted and delicious laugh, letting us know she is up to no good. And that means nothing but good for music fans. The song has a great energy, particularly in her vocal delivery, and some interesting touches. Perhaps what's most important is that there is a sense of fun here. Remember fun? Ruby James wrote this one with Adam Mackintosh. It's followed by "Gasoline," which begins with a strong, fast pulse. "I'm standing naked at the gates of hell/I'm just as useless as a girl can be/You came to play a game and cast your spell/I've come to crown the king to rescue me." But before you get the wrong idea, she sings, "You never met a girl so hard and mean/You're just as useless as a boy can be." She delivers a great vocal performance, toying at the edges of darkness and danger, just as rock should do. It's a kick-ass number. "Your dirty blood is rushing through my veins/I want to show you what your pain can mean."
"I should have seen it in your eyes," Ruby sings, or taunts, at the beginning of "Novocaine." Something about the way she sings, we can hear a certain amount of attitude in her voice, and of course there is something exciting in such a voice, something sexy. And here she again mentions a spell, and there is a sort of haunted vibe heard here: "What is it going to take to break me from this spell?/I tried to numb the pain, a shot of novocaine." This is a very cool song, written by Ruby James and Kyle Crusham. Then "Honeydripper" has a slow, steady pulse at the beginning, emerging from the haze. It might feel heavy, it might feel dark, but there is also a pop thing to this one. And when the guitars have their say, the song gets into heavier rock, and that's when this one shines. "I'm coming for you, baby, and I'm coming at you hot." There is some nice percussion here. This song was written by Ruby James, Kate Vargas, and Bruce Butkovich. The great Rosie Flores adds some guitar work to this track, and Courtney Santana provides backing vocal work.
The first of the two covers on this disc is Ruby Janes' own special rendition of The Supersuckers' "Pretty Fucked Up," here titled "Punk Rock Love Song (Pretty Fucked Up)." Supersuckers' Edward Daly (known as Eddie Spaghetti) joins her on it, playing bass and acoustic guitar, and providing some lead vocal work. And Supersuckers' Chris Von Streicher is on drums for this one. This rendition sets itself apart immediately, beginning softly on piano. That's Ruby James on piano on this track. In this opening section, there is a crackling sound effect as if we're listening to an old record, an effect I would rather do without. But what's especially striking is Ruby James' vocals. Her performance is soulful, moving. "I probably won't die, but it sure feels that way/I used to be strong, I used to be tough/I used to be pretty, but now I'm just pretty fucked up." So, yeah, we get the story from the girl's perspective. Then Eddie comes in, "Now I know people change, and sometimes that's good/And some people don't, but maybe they should." And the song becomes one of those great rock ballads. It's an interesting, unexpected take on the song. Ah, we're all "pretty fucked up now."
The disc's other cover is "Bumble Bee," a song from the early 1960s, one that has been covered by a lot of artists. Rosie Flores joins Ruby James on lead guitar on this one, delivering some excellent stuff. "You know you hurt me once before/You'll never hurt me anymore." Oh, we have no doubt of that. This is a seriously cool and fun rendition. And, hey, a song with the phrase "an evil bumble bee" can't be taken too seriously, right? And that's what we're missing from a lot of music these days, that sense of fun. Ruby puts her own spin on it, but keeps some classic rock and roll elements here. I love this rendition. It's another of the disc's highlights. Ruby James then wraps things up with an original number titled "Boogiedown Town," which she wrote with James Hall. Phrases like "got a zeppelin in my pocket" put us in in the proper mood. And on the chorus, there is a bit of 1970s flavor. "I got this fire on my heels/And these hips that don't lie/I got a love that keeps 'em thirsty/And a beat that won't die." That steady beat keeps us in line. And Rosie Flores adds some guitar to this track as well, and Courtney Santana again adds some excellent backing vocal work. A delicious conclusion to a really good disc.
CD Track List
- Voodoo Queen
- Gasoline
- Novocaine
- Honeydripper
- Punk Rock Love Song (Pretty Fucked Up)
- Bumble Bee
- Boogiedown Town
Call It Rock & Roll was released on August 7, 2026 on Mule Kick Records.
