image courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

Album Review of Luke LeBlanc: Places

Luke LeBlanc is an Americana-ish singer-songwriter whose raspy, emotionally-connected voice and unique musical style literally jump out of the speakers and demand your attention. Figuratively. I meant figuratively. But from the first song on his newest release, Places, it’s clear Luke’s music is among the best of its genre and would interest many of us who don’t usually listen to this style, too. In the end, though his songwriting is complex and well-conceived, it’s Luke’s voice that’s so memorable and appealing. A uniquely identifiable emotional everyman, his voice is the calling card that’s recognizable from well-written song to well-written song.

My favorite Places ditty is its album-opener, “A Place,” a song that energetically bounces along like a moderately-paced hoedown and then slows down to wax melancholically nostalgic. The music is intricate without being plush, assembling engaging musical bits and pieces into a song that’s an attention-grabber. Attention-grabbing songs are, of course, the best way to start a record. They convince the listener to continue, setting up more subtly interesting songs to follow.

“No Good” shows Luke can slow things down to a mellower pace, though the song never really sits there, as it’s always powered forward by intertwined instruments and twangy country-ness. Next up is “Own It,” which has a mildly energetic folky singer-songwriter vibe and tempo, but the groovy horns add a bigger-stage energy. Then “Honey Rebel” is kind of a confident little strutter of a song, with Luke’s delivery carrying a Matthew McConaughey-like pacing and tone.

My other favorites on the album are “Never Met You at All,” which is old-school country filled with attitudinal coolness, neat picking, and smooth fiddlework; “Break My Wall,” a sassy, sentimental tempo-changer; sweetly-crooned “Hazy”; and the insightfully edgy yet clever “Right Way,” which is lightly instrumented throughout but builds from low intensity at the beginning to slightly less low intensity by the end. It just seems like it’ll be a nifty low-voltage crowdpleaser, and it’s definitely a great way to end a disc.

If I had to put my finger on what makes Luke LeBlanc’s Places such a pleasant enjoyable listen, it’d be his identifiable voice, his deceptively intricate song stylings, his range that covers every corner of the seemingly modest real estate that is singer-songwriter Americana, and his music’s good-natured, sometimes playful sincerity. This result of this variety of standout features is a record that clearly outclasses most of its peers. If you give it a listen, you’ll be glad you did.

Random Thought

Luke is Minneapolis-based, as is Blog favorite Dan Israel. I’m not sure if they’ve ever played together, but their sounds are so complementary, they absolutely should. Just sayin’. It’d be a killer double-bill.

Looking Ahead

The “Shows” page of Luke’s website lists his next gig as Friday, April 26th at The Burr Oak in Madison, Wisconsin. He also currently has six more shows scheduled in Wisconsin and Minnesota during May, June, and July. Be sure to check his website for details about those shows and additional performances, as they’re added.