Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real
Fantasy Records
Lukas
Nelson & Promise of the Real release their sixth album which continues to
build the brand of strong song writing and emotionally charged vocals. Its appeal is broad and there is little to
dislike – except for the last track which should have been left off
altogether. It’s all-the-more surprising
when six of the 12 songs are really absorbing with towering performances from
the band whose name is their badge of integrity.
Sharing
stages with Bob Dylan, BB King and of course his father, mentored by and
working on the road and studio with Neil Young, has been time well spent but
it’s their own hard work that is reaping the dividends.
Two
expansive tracks impress the most.
Opener, Set Me Down on a Cloud, is about loss of life which many of us
must face that features Lukas on guitar and has a Southern Rock feel. The autobiographical Forget About Georgia at
the other end of the album, also over seven minutes, matches and references the
best songs containing the name of the Southern state. Possibly the best country song I’ve heard,
it’s the painful tale of losing a girl called Georgia, only to be reminded of
her whenever he has the misfortune of singing Georgia on My Mind with his
father on tour. Emotive vocals in the
first half are matched with sombre guitar in the second and should have
been the last track.
Perhaps
the band are having fun, or maybe they are listening to the advice of Messrs
Young and Nelson Snr about keeping your audiences keen and carving out a
career. Six outstanding tracks on an
album isn’t an accident. If I’d been in
the band, I’d have been thrown out for the quaint complaint of musical
differences. I enjoyed this album
tremendously but feel it could have been invincible if the choice of songs had
been more consistent.
NE
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