Austin, Texas-based Southern rock, funky-tonk, jam band Uncle Lucius release their first album `Like It`s The Last One Left` in eight years. The band parted five years ago but have come together with new members bassist Drew Scherger and guitarist Doug Strahan joining Mike Carpenter, Josh Greco, Kevin Galloway, and Jon Grossman.
The album opens with the groovy, roots ballad `Keep Singing Along` which ambles along with vocalist Kevin Galloway sharing lyrics with a kind of resilient `all`s well with the world` message with a wonderful inflection in his vocal delivery. There`s a delightful underlying beat or pulse at the heart of `Civilized Anxiety` a number written about feeling the pressure of overpopulation and the experience of that pressure sometimes being too much to take. The band really express that sense of anxiety on this track.
Fellow Austinite Cody Braun (Reckless Kelly) plays fiddle on `All the Angelenos`, a humorous gibe at all the chancers who’ve relocated to Austin in the hopes of capitalising on the city’s boom town status but with an underlying sense of frustration. A country tinged subtle discourse. We have a captivating laid back slow burn with `I’m Happy` which strolls along with a slight Tex-Mex tinge.
I read that `Tuscaloosa Rain` channels Dusty Springfield and Burt Bacharach, complete with swooning orchestration from the Tosca String Quartet and stacked harmonies from the vocal duo US (Sir Woman, Wild Child). It`s that and so much more. A mesmerising, thoughtful, contemplative piece with glorious strings attached giving it an almost retro texture. I felt that `Love In Kind` was a charming affectionate ode to that special someone who maybe isn`t always told they`re appreciated. A melodic sort of new country offering.
US also appear on `Holly Roller`, a track that’s fairly rocky but has a spiritual come gospel like quality about it with some sweet backing vocals / harmonies, funky organ tinges and blistering guitar riffs. We have a kind of eighty one second instrumental interlude or soundscape with `Draw The Line`.
The pace gathers momentum on the soulful `Trace My Soul` a deep number with some rockier moments and an organ sound that gave it a kind of evangelistic vibe at times. The album closes out on `Heart Over Mind` a richly melodic number that crosses soul, r&b, and Americana with honey tinged vocals and orchestrated strings which gave it an almost philosophical touch.
If i`m honest this was my introduction to Uncle Lucius, and I have to say `Like It`s The Last One Left` really blew me away. The band have just announced a few dates in the UK toward the end of next year which will be well worth attending if you enjoy soulful roots-rock, with a touch of Americana thrown in for good measure.
I thought that Uncle Lucius were a kind of blend of The Band meets Creedence Clearwater Revival, and for me that ain`t a bad thing.
Rating 9 /10
