Artist:     Willie Nile

Album:     New York At Night

Label:     River House Records

Release Date:     05.15.2020

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Jersey has Bruce Springsteen, but New York has Willie Nile. To music fans unfamiliar with Willie—and there are far too many of them out there—the comparison might seem stretched, but no less than the Boss himself has acknowledged Nile’s place among the great songwriters of the past 40 years.

Yes, it’s been that long since Robert Noonan left Buffalo for New York City and became Willie Nile—gritty street rocker and folk hero, equal parts Lou Reed and Bob Dylan. New York At Night isn’t Willie’s first album dedicated to his adopted hometown. His 2006 Streets of New York was a tour de force, and his more recent release, Children of Paradise (2018), featured songs and images of New York’s forgotten souls. New York At Night is more straight-ahead rock ‘n’ roll than either of those two albums. The opening cut, “New York Is Rockin’,” sets the tone, supported by the title track and songs like “Backstreet Slide” and “Downtown Girl.”

Nile’s at his best, though, with thoughtful material. “Doors of Paradise” and “Lost and Lonely World” are closer to the songs of personal struggle and societal justice that have always been his strongest suit. Tender tunes like “A Little Bit of Love” and “The Last Time We Made Love” reveal Willie’s romantic soul while “Under This Roof” offers comfort for troubled times. In addition to new material, New York At Night features an updated take on “Run Free,” a song of youthful exuberance that sounds as fresh today as it did when Nile first recorded it in 2003.

Record company disputes derailed Nile’s career after a highly acclaimed debut album in 1980, but the past two decades have been particularly fertile in terms of songwriting and performing. Although he couldn’t have known about the Corona virus when he began recording tracks for the album, New York At Night is a tribute to the city’s strength, energy and will to endure—just like Willie Nile himself. It’s always fun to introduce friends to a great artist who for reasons unknown has remained a touch under the radar, but it’s time Willie Nile got his due. In addition to his latest effort, check out American Ride, House of a Thousand Guitars and The Innocent Ones—all superb albums that measure up against the works of any his peers.

—Lou Montesano