Luke Tuchscherer - Carousel (2019)

Posted By: varrock

Luke Tuchscherer - Carousel (2019)
WEB FLAC (tracks) - 223 MB | Tracks: 12 | 41:22 min
Style: Alt-Country, Americana | Label: Clubhouse Records

It’s a well-worn path. Artist runs out of ideas and decides to re-hash some old material and produces an album that is at best mediocre and at worst downright boring. Not in this case though, it’s truly excellent! Luke Tuchscherer has certainly dug deep into his back catalogue, with most of the songs dating back to the mid 2000s, but this is as far from dull, boring or mediocre as you could get – in fact it grips you from the opening few bars of the first track ‘My Darling England’ right through to the harmonica fade out on the last track ‘You Still Have My Heart’.

‘Carousel’ is a hugely stripped-back album that couldn’t be further removed from his last release, the full-on rocking and rolling ‘Pieces’ (which incidentally, this august site rated an 8 out of 10) but it provides a perfect platform for Tuchscherer’s wonderfully rich expressive voice as he brings to life the stories embedded in the clear and wonderfully direct lyrics.

Although Dylan, Springsteen – as well as Neil Young and Townes Van Zandt – are cited as influences on this album, don’t be fooled into thinking that ‘Carousel’ is some cheap knock off clone of those greats. It absolutely stands on its own merits and the storytelling is first class. ‘Violets’ is a great example as Tuchscherer tells the tale of a woman, who judging by the bruises, seems to have been the subject of domestic abuse but he can only stand and watch helplessly and guess at what she has gone through and will likely go through in the future.

The oldest song on ‘Carousel’ is the opening track ‘My Darling England’ which was recorded when Tuchscherer was a member of The Whybyrds but which never made it to the final cut of the ‘Cold Blue Sky’ album. As luck would have it though, the lyrics are just as pertinent today as we endure the complete and utter Brexit shambles brought on by our inept politicians.

Tuchscherer himself sums up best the raison d’etre of ‘Carousel’. “First and foremost it was about finding songs that could stand up on their own. It would get a bit repetitive if I was just strumming open chords, so I wanted to pick songs that had a bit of interest in the guitar playing by employing different tunings and strange chord voicings. And on top of that, I wanted it to fit a theme lyrically too”.

‘Carousel’ is an album of simple beauty, an album that hits you with the immediacy of the playing and clarity of the vocals. Sit back, turn the lights down, pour yourself a drink and just immerse yourself in this delightful piece of music.

Tracklist:

1. My Darling England
2. Be Loved
3. Don't Let Him Change You
4. The Billions
5. The Other Side
6. Carousel
7. Violets
8. I Can't Wait
9. Potash
10. The Nigth Tom Petty Died
11. Road to Damascus
12. You Still Have My Heart



FILE: 01. My Darling England.flac
Size: 30472711 Hash: 1878710A8BF9E362F94CAAB36334F085 Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 32BAB1C26DCF8F0B50F83DD291F074A5A5857041
FILE: 02. Be Loved.flac
Size: 16702419 Hash: F6BF8F056F1B611B5A5238A757700763 Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 1B8B05AE08EF033A8DD560F3CC051CA043FB9F33
FILE: 03. Don't Let Him Change You.flac
Size: 17171115 Hash: F28494FD43AED8D15A725F51419C9468 Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 99%
Signature: 72F198E5C216BA4485092D1E5AA1D05FBC411A9B
FILE: 04. The Billions.flac
Size: 19292012 Hash: 0EBAA24B7EDB10682BDAC9AD6003D182 Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 99%
Signature: 1B9E8215B6B4C5350343F892C885C1E3E2BAF858
FILE: 05. The Other Side.flac
Size: 23867032 Hash: 25042248118B09037E1416D79DAAAD2C Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: B53969DF90BA67F30F299BFCD233D77A0FDB319F
FILE: 06. Carousel.flac
Size: 13641933 Hash: 0ACBC742351DD8DF5F045C0334658D5A Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 54758C8A6B3883C695640357943DFF2D389A1FE2
FILE: 07. Violets.flac
Size: 19013025 Hash: 591620BF89E1E39781A2649914972DAE Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 191AA88468133229510DF10410AFDFE335073F1D
FILE: 08. I Can't Wait.flac
Size: 17446444 Hash: D040A47EEFF13148DDC3C7A392D55533 Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: DA33559755AB24D241D635965641A54B6E077658
FILE: 09. Potash.flac
Size: 23729170 Hash: 085CC5B5F937CC6ED5AA655C9582F710 Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 99%
Signature: 73057991B135ADEF42F18A461C527ADCC2813377
FILE: 10. The Night Tom Petty Died.flac
Size: 14209657 Hash: 6BA84C3255452DE7A0757D8A9F761F11 Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 97A2DCDCC91083E44B2DE2B55B315BCF75DB7F44
FILE: 11. Road to Damascus.flac
Size: 22536401 Hash: C873F56C3944CFAEF452F047529A9430 Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 99%
Signature: BA24A56D02920F4E4A1130A34C8248103CABAA4C
FILE: 12. You Still Have My Heart.flac
Size: 15587391 Hash: CF66C7AC99E9229848843C8C3BB5D523 Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 5DE226B458AC4463599EED87F20E50B2F7C05036