Cidny Bullens, Little Pieces review

Cidny Bullens Little Pieces Kill Rock Stars CidnyBullens.com

Cidny Bullens has had a busy few years. A number of album releases and projects have been completed, including a memoir currently being read in the Fervor Coulee (Not Only) Bluegrass Bunker.

Focused on the radio, we missed the original albums Desire Wire and Steal the Night, but caught up some years ago—solid rock and roll albums they were. With many associations including work with Rod Stewart, Gene Clark, and Elton John, and the Grease soundtrack, Bullens never truly ‘broke out.’

Personal turmoil, including the death of his youngest child, shaped Bullens’ career which has seen the creation of several albums including Walkin’ Through This World a few years ago. This is a re-release of that disc with the addition of a duet with Beth Neilson Chapman, “Not With You.” Without access to the original release, I am unable to comment whether production tweaks have occurred, but selective online listening doesn’t reveal differences.

What I do know is this: Little Pieces is all kinds of brilliant, a rocking collection of personal transformation filtered through an Americana prism.

Working with Ray Kennedy, as he has in the past, Bullens’ Little Pieces is a riveting collection of songs. Several relate directly to the freedom his transition as an ‘elder’ has afforded him.

Vocally, Bullens reminds us of both Tom Petty (as on “Purgatory Road,” “Crack the Sky,” and “Walk Through This World”) and Graham Parker (“Call Me By My Name”, “Little Pieces”) while each of his songs carry the lyrical and harmonic weight we have come to associate with John Hiatt.

He sings, “I’m walkin’ through this world, as exactly who I am,” in “Walkin’ Through This World.” The lyrical reference (and playful background ‘Doo-do-doo-do-doo-do-do-dos’) to “Walk on the Wild Side” is not by chance. A life with no regrets is Bullens’ stated goal, with his walk through the world as a man being a definite source of pride. It is a great song of self-affirmation, personal acceptance, and bravery.

He continues his reflection within additional strong songs including “The Gender Line” (which features Rodney Crowell) (“If you were me, what would you do? You look in the mirror and it’s not really you…”) and “Call Me By My Name,” perhaps the albums most revealing song. “Since I last checked in, there’s been a little change, my daughter said, ‘What do I call you Ma?’ I said, ‘Call me by my name.’”

Bullens’ confidence through his ongoing search for place within a world that isn’t always accepting has been obvious to those outside his circle. “Healing the Break,” which features daughter Reid Bullens Crewe, reveals the darkness he has experienced even as the song focuses on the positives of hope and redemption; the song is uplifting while addressing honestly the challenges faced as a family.

Nanci Griffith once sang, “I’d pretend I’ve the voice of Beth Nielsen Chapman,” and perhaps Bullens holds her in similar esteem, bringing in BNC to guest on the album’s new song, “Not With You.” Over soaring electric guitar from Stanton Edwards, the two sing of the power the right love can produce:

Love’s a chance that’s hard to take
Knowing that my heart could break
It’s nothing but a big mistake
A crazy thing to do
But not with you.

It is a powerful vocal and emotional showcase highlighting the light that can enter a pain-filled life when least expected. Nielsen Chapman appears less prominently on a pair of additional songs, while a chorus of Mary Gauthier, Bill Lloyd, Siobhan Kennedy, BNC, and others are featured on “Walkin’ Through This World.”

Select songs including “Crack the Sky” and “Laugh in the Rain” share memories of the darkness Bullens has overcome, whilst “Lucky For Me” is a sweet little, full tilt rocker that would not have been out of place on his earliest albums.

Cidny Bullens’ career and personal journey are testament to the power of self-confidence and the ability to express one’s honest identity through music. Little Pieces is the realization of artistic strength and vision, a terrific album that appeals on all fronts.