Rinaldi Sings is the new group fronted by singer and songwriter Steve Rinaldi. A big band with a big sound, they play uptempo moddish pop that nods to the band’s northern soul and sixties influences. He’s played in IPO Liverpool this year too. Rinaldi’s influence is more swinging Carnaby Street kitsch than Beatles and Bryds here. The horns and organ dominate most of the melodies, leaving the guitars as supporting players. Steve’s vocals are great, but for some strange reason they remind me of Greg Page (of The Wiggles) – maybe it’s the whole “feel-good” rock vibe here. Opening with the bouncy “You Take Me There” sets the album’s tone of distinctive cheeky optimism. Like the bubblegum pop hits of Tom Jones or Petula Clark with modern rhythms. A highlight is “End of An Error” which has an insanely catchy melody and harmony that resembles the best of The Beautiful South and other Manchester bands with those great Bacharach-ian horns. Other nostalgic trips like the wonderful “The Only Show in Town” get in a Harpers Bizarre mood. The beautiful orchestration is another detail that bumps this album up a notch. The Housemartins are another Hull band that draws comparison here, as far as hooks and horns, but Rinaldi’s voice is much stronger. No bad tracks here – a worthy earful of classic up-tempo pop music.
Rinaldi Sings “Avenues & Alleyways”