New York At Night

Willie Nile is an underappreciated rock & roll hero who has been living in New York Citys Greenwich Village since the early 1970s, so if anyone would be a good choice to write an album about life in the city, it would be him. Of course, hes not the first New Yorker to try that, and its not even Niles first shot at this, having released Streets of New York in 2006. But while Lou Reeds 1989 masterpiece New York was a warts-and-all appreciation of the best and worst the city had to offer, Niles 2020 release New York at Night is the work of a guy who has nothing but love for his hometown, to the point that plenty of these songs could be used to lure visitors to the Big Apple. Niles album is divided between celebrations of the possibilities of life in New York and character sketches informed by his many years there. The songs are just gritty enough to suggest this was informed by the pre-gentrification era of the city, but laced with enough romance that he wasnt going to badmouth his favorite place in the world, even if it was in decline. New York at Night might suggest a certain nostalgia for past glories rather than a cold, clear look at the city in the 21st century (its actually kind of sweet that he thinks theyre still listening to New Jack Swing in Bed-Stuy), but the songs about after-dark adventures are plenty of fun, the love songs are full of heart and wonder, and the live-wire passion that has always informed Niles best work is still strong and plentiful here, no small thing considering this was released less than a month before the guy turned 72. Niles band (featuring Jimi K. Bones and Matt Hogan on guitars, Johnny Pisano on bass, and Jon Webe on drums) brings snap and fire to the performances, and producer Stewart Lerman keeps the audio full-bodied but clear and clean. New York at Night may not be the best album ever made about the Greatest City in the World, but its smart, exciting, and hot-wired rock & roll from a guy who clearly knows plenty about his city and his music, and its a reminder that hes one of the best rockers New York has left. ~ Mark Deming