When played well pedal and lap steel can produce an emotion
sapping accompaniment to songs designed to explore some of the darker places in
our mind. Whether by experience or imagination, Luke Tuchscherer’s initial deep
dive into the world of country music has risen back to the surface with an
album capturing that sound and mood. With cultured arrangements and explicit
songs baring the scars of life, YOU GET SO ALONE AT TIMES IT JUST MAKES SENSE
is not an album to be consumed lightly but then we all know that the best
records never shy away from a little pain.
Whybirds drummer Luke has stepped forward to go alone
on this debut solo release and has the potential to create more than a ripple
in the UK's Americana and alt-country community, although with its deep sense of tradition
perhaps the alt tag should be dropped. This record is awash with top notch
writing, stellar playing and more importantly connects instantly without the
need to go down the grower route. Just as the press release was enlightening and
free of superlatives, Luke’s writing is simple, plain but highly effective in
conveying not just the message of each song but planting a measure of sincerity
into the mind of the listener.
All twelve songs have a strong feel to them and a couple do
leave the door slightly ajar for a brief glimpse of light. A breezy melody
attaches itself to the dutiful and merciful track ‘Women’ which offers a little respite, just in the same way that ‘Two Ships (Caroline Please)’ recalls a
fading optimism of what might have been. Leading the deluge of melancholic moments
is the mournful ‘You Don’t Know Me’
drowning in morbid glorious pedal steel and the equally as depressive ‘Hold On’. Tears are delivered along with
‘Dear Samantha’ and it’s a song which
makes you want to re-write history. Sitting at track eleven, if you aren’t
engrossed in the album now and feel for the characters then perhaps another
genre is the remedy.
Eleven musicians under the guidance of producer Tom Peters
have contributed to the record leading the album down several distinctive sound
routes such as a west coast 70’s feel to ‘When
Day is Done’ and ‘Three Long Days’.
Banjo and Dobro add an acoustic roots tinge to album opener ‘(Lord Knows) I’m a Bad Man’ while
drooling Hammond organ sprinkles smidgeons of soul over ‘One of Us’. This song has been sent out into the wider world as the
album’s scout track via Sound Cloud links and free downloads from Fatea with
the intention of reporting back with new fans. With its cutting lyrics reflecting
a spiralling existence, it certainly is up there with the album’s peak moments.
Additional musical influences on the album include some
cello especially on the acoustic led ‘I
Don’t Need You To Love Me’ and there is no finer string instrument to
induce sound tainted with sadness. A full string arrangement by Johnny Parry
enhances ‘(To Make It Worse) I’m Falling
In Love Again’, while the album’s lengthiest track ‘Darling, It’s Just Too Hard To Love’ opens with subtly strummed
ballad pretensions before launching into a concoction of instrumental delight
missing only the earlier defining tones of pedal and lap steel.
The decision made by Luke Tuchscherer to follow his heart
and veer down this path has been rewarded with a strong emotive album right at
the core of what makes this genre so special. YOU GET SO ALONE AT TIMES IT JUST
MAKES SENSE should possess two warnings: not for the faint heart but essential
for those who know good music.
