Album Review: Apartment No. 9 Soul Shake by Rick Young
Rick Young’s Apartment No. 9 Soul Shake is one of those albums that sneaks up on you. Released under Medallion Records and produced by the ever-reliable Don Barnett, this record blends Folk, World, & Country with a strong dose of Rock & Roll—genres that might sound like an odd mix but somehow gel together in a way that feels raw and alive. It’s not perfect, but it doesn’t need to be. What it does, it does with heart.
The title track, “Apartment No. 9,” is unforgettable—not because it’s flashy or overproduced, but because it tells a story. You can almost picture the scene: dim lights, creaky floorboards, maybe a bottle of whiskey sitting on a table somewhere. The lyrics are simple yet vivid, painting a picture of longing and regret. And Rick’s voice? It’s got grit, like he’s lived every word he’s singing. There’s no autopilot here; this feels personal. If you’ve ever had your heart broken in a dingy apartment, this song will hit home hard.
Then there’s “Soul Shake.” This track kicks things up a notch. It’s groovier, punchier, and impossible not to tap your foot to. The guitar riffs have a swagger to them, and the rhythm section locks in tight, giving off serious rock ‘n’ roll vibes. What sticks with me most about this song is the energy—it’s infectious. Even if you’re just driving around running errands, “Soul Shake” turns a mundane day into something worth smiling about.
Rick Young isn’t reinventing the wheel here, and honestly, that’s part of the charm. He leans into classic sounds without drowning in nostalgia. Sure, some transitions between tracks feel a little uneven, and a couple of moments could use more polish. But these imperfections make the album feel human. It’s music for real people, not some algorithm-driven playlist designed to maximize streams.
What surprised me most? How much I kept coming back to these songs. In a world full of hyper-produced pop hits, Apartment No. 9 Soul Shake reminds us why we fell in love with rock and folk in the first place. It’s messy, heartfelt, and unapologetically itself.
And hey, isn’t that what great music’s all about?
