Austin Lucas - Somebody Loves You

Austin Lucas first came to my attention due to the LP he recorded with Hot Water Music’s Chuck Ragan last year, Bristle Ridge. Maybe I’m late to some game or another, but being both a full-time punk rock fan, and a casual country fan, I had never heard of him before. I’m glad that this has been remedied, though, because Lucas has released one of the best folk/country albums I’ve ever heard.

Now, when I say a casual fan of country, I should clarify; I’m talking about classic, old-timey country. Think the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou? and go from there. Not the guys you’re hearing on the radio singing songs about tequila making people’s clothes fall off. George Jones wouldn’t have sang about that, dammit.

If you listened to Bristle Ridge, you’re at least somewhat familiar with Austin’s work. (If you’ve not listened to that album, you’re missing out on one of the best albums from last year, and need to remedy that immediately) This album lacks much of the fast-paced music from that album; the songs tend to be slower, more subdued, and more somber overall. “Singing Man” in particular is a beautiful love song, slow and full of emotion in Austin’s voice. Of course, that last bit could be repeated for every song on this album; the best instrument on the whole album is his rich, emotive voice.

The material here covers much of the same topics found on Bristle Ridge; love, loss, mortality. Many of the songs feature female backing vocals, which provide a nice contrast to Austin’s own voice.

It’s difficult to talk about this album without discussing Bristle Ridge in every sentence; Austin’s contributions to that album are similar if not identical to his solo output, so what you heard there was more or less a condensed version of his work. As a result, if you listened to that album and liked what you heard from him, you will undoubtedly like this album as much, if not more. I find that he shines even brighter when given the entire album to work with. I’d go so far as to say there’s not a bad song on the album, with highlights being the title track, “Singing Man,” and “Go West.”

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