Deuce Denninger is a singer-songwriter from Southeast Missouri who combines the flavours of Americana and the Blues. Proficient with the guitar and harmonica, Deuce has been releasing music since 2016 and has two albums and 4 singles under his belt. His latest single “Mary” is nostalgic and pays homage to an older era.

The track starts off with the Deuce and his back-up vocalist harmonising together for “Mary, Sweet Mary, Queen of the Blues” establishing the motif of the track right off the bact. The vocal performance by Deuce Denninger is strong and the coarseness in his voice adds to the ruggedness of the track. The keys are energizing, especially the high-pitched ones that pop in at times adding a sense of lightness. The percussion remains rhythmic and subtle and the Maraca-like percussion in the chorus adds to the party ambience.

Lyrically the track is a description of Mary and her physicality as well as her personality. Her high-heels, her charm, the way she smiles, giggles and shines are described in detail. An anonymous woman being the subject of an entire track is quite common in Rock as a genre. While this is often done with respect and the intention is of paying homage; and can sometimes even be flattering I think it always has the possibility of coming off as outdated.

The track has a plethora of elements coming together to hold the listener’s attention. It is scattered with isolated guitar notes and riffs that I really enjoyed paying attention to. The guitar solo has beautiful vocal harmonies going over it and I thought that the back up vocals were really well done, making it one of my favourite elements on the track.

If you are looking for a nostalgic rock track to add to your playlist, “Mary” by Deuce Denninger is the one for you!