Review → Chuck Ragan & Austin Lucas – Bristle Ridge (2008)
Chuck Ragan & Austin Lucas - Bristle Ridge
Chuck Ragan is probably, hopefully, known to many as one of the lead singers and guitarists for Gainesville’s beloved post-hardcore quartet Hot Water Music. Since that group disbanded back in 2006 (though they have been playing a few reunion shows here and there in 2008), the members have gone onto other projects; Chuck Ragan releasing a number of acclaimed acoustic solo albums in a country/buegrass vein, and the remainder of the band performing as The Draft. Austin Lucas might be a name unfamiliar to some. He’s played in a few punk bands over the years, and released some well-received folk/bluegrass albums. With a solid backing band (including Lucas’s father), they got together to record Bristle RIdge.
First of all, if you’re coming to this album having only listened to Hot Water Music, you’re in for a surprise. This album owes more to the bluegrass traditions of American roots music than to the punk and post-hardcore of HWM’s career. For the modern listener, think of the song “A Man of Constant Sorrow” from the movie O Brother Where Art Thou? and you’ll get a good idea of the musical tone on this record.
The band is extremely competent, and provide great backing to Ragan and Lucas’s vocals. The vocals themselves are phenomenal; Ragan has his trademark growl, but as any HWM fan will tell you, it has smoothed with age, and it is in superb form here. In opener “Bloody Shells,” it perfectly suits the grim tale told. It also contrasts well with Lucas’s smoother delivery. He shines on tracks like the upbeat “Bells” and the somber “Sun or Snow.” Much of the subject matter is dark, which keeps in the spirit of many folk songs from the early century. They offer fairly frank outlooks on mortality and life.
This is one of the more compelling releases of the year. Truly delightful and true-to-the-spirit roots/bluegrass music that should appeal to fans of the genre, and fans of the singer/songwriters in question.
Rating: 4 stars
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