To the common dark - Album Review

Ever since I heard the stunning ode to raise money for wells in impoverished countries simply titled "Water", I've been a huge fan of Luke Thompson's blend of folk, country and acoustic music into a style that is distinctly original. It was then with great pleasure, and a fair bit of surprise, that I recently found out he had a new album out and was giving it away online for free.

Now in today's digital age, where practically anything musical can be obtained both legally and illegally from over a dozen websites at once, and words like "Torrented", "ripped", and "burned" are almost built in to my generation's subconsciousness, it is rare to find artists who are actually sincere about their reasons for giving away music. Half of the time I feel it is because they're thinking "Oh, the kid's will probably rip it off somewhere anyway, so I might as well just save myself the bother." or that they're only doing it to promote something else, like a tour or something. Not that I'm complaining because, hey, free music is FREE music! But with Luke Thompson it seems like there's someone who's actually got the right perspective on it. In a little disclaimer on his website, he states (and I quote) "Lately I have come to realize that I don't make music for money... Sometimes I make money from music, but that's not the main reason why I make music.... The main reward is when someone shares with me how they connected with a song, or felt the same way as I did.... That's why this album is free."

In saying that though, after a few listens I respect that artistic decision so much more because honestly this album is worth gold. Mixed in along with Luke's amazing voice and the ever-accompanying tasteful guitar is a huge pile of great lyrics and some incredible instrumentation which just pops out at the most unexpected moments. Take for example the haunting trumpet leads at the end of "The Forever Song" and "Penny For The Boatman" or the banjo & fiddle-driven "Walls". Even though it's hard to pick a favourite from this album, as everything song brings something fresh to the forefront and takes you on another journey somewhere (like all good folk music should do!) there are a few standout tracks.  "No Redemption", though reminding me somewhat of one of his older songs (I can't pin down which one though!) is one of those tunes which is just perfect; it's rambling tune and minimalist accompaniment make it stunning enough that the beautiful harmonica solo at 3.24 is just the icing on the cake. Plus it has some of my favorite lyrics too: the lines "It's strange that even the greatest man of all could be a madman in the end" and "I can't just sit here singing, because if singing's all I ever do then I'm a fake" are just incredible.
"Green Green Grass" is another highlight, with some lovely acoustic guitar playing and a great chorus with some more tasteful harmonica thrown in there. Lyrically it's a tale of searching for something new and going onto greener pastures, which is something I can definitely relate too. 
I was also pleasantly surprised by the opening track "On A Slow Boat To China" because I'd heard it before at a show he was playing at a few years ago. Pretty stoked it made it onto this album, because it was such a good tune and it's awesome to hear it again. With a tinkling piano opening, and one of the more catchy choruses on the record (you'll have this one stuck in your head for a while, but in a good way!) this one's definitely a winner.

Overall, this album was such a good find. While the whole acoustic-folk vibe does get a tiny bit repetitive if you listen to it too much, Luke Thompson does a great job of making sure every song is fresh both lyrically and instrumentally. This is an absolutely incredible record which is awesome to chill out to, or listen to in depth so you get the full experience. But why take my word for it? Go download it at http://www.lukethompsonmusic.com/ and see for yourself.

Rating: 5/5