Album Review – Luke Bell (Self-Titled)
There is no justice in the music business. Consider a sports league where there worst teams always win, and do so because of seedy deals and backroom politics. That is music in a nutshell. But every once in a while there’s an outlier—a case where justice is served, and someone who deserves to be lifted up to the podium actually gets that opportunity. Luke Bell doesn’t come across as some aspirational go getter looking to “make it.” That’s why his particular brand of traditional country feels so authentic. And why he probably deserves to “make it” more than those participating in the hustle down on Music Row.
Luke Bell still has a long way to go, but it’s not nearly as far as he did a while back when he was just yet another songwriter with a collection of studio tracks looking for attention. Surprisingly he actually found attention from a few noteworthy people, from big-time booking agency WME, and others in the business that have lifted Luke out of the crowd, and given him the opportunity to prove his muster in front of a bigger audience.
In the spirit of full disclosure, reviewing this record is a difficult enterprise because of how this release came about. Half of this record was released over two years ago via Bandcamp in a fully independent effort called Don’t Mind If I Do. The opening track, and most of the second half of this record is not just familiar, it has been heavily vetted by this particular set of ears, especially since it was so well-received and remained on heavy rotation at Saving Country Music headquarters for an extended period, and revisited often.
Heavy listening can usurp the magic from music no matter how magical or appealing it might be initially, just as time can expose material as not as magical as initially thought. But in regards to Luke Bell’s old songs presented anew in this release, neither of the two aforementioned worries are of concern. Songs like “Sometimes,” “Working Man’s Dream,” and “Glory and the Grace” are just as striking as they were when Donald Trump as a Presidential candidate was still more rumor than reality. It’s that honky tonk musk Luke Bell contracted while hanging out in Austin, Texas for a year or two, that bluesy piano he picked up while bumming around New Orleans, and how it’s all mixed with the Wyoming ruggedness imparted by his upbringing that makes these compositions timeless.
Truth be told, if I had my druthers, and it didn’t make a difference to anyone else, I wouldn’t have balked at re-releasing Don’t Mind If I Do verbatim with the umph of Thirty Tigers and a team of pros behind behind Bell now, and called it good. There will be plenty of other opportunities to release new music in the future. Don’t go messing with something that is perfectly fine already. The formula to putting together music that goes on to be considered generational is too fickle to test fate with. And according to Luke himself, he wouldn’t have minded the “don’t fix what ain’t broken” approach to this record too.
There is something to be said about the lapse in time that had transpired though, and the need for new music. So a compromise was struck, and the best parts of Don’t Mind If I Do were packaged up and transferred over, and five new songs were cut in the same studio as the previous sessions. And it was the best parts and the best songs that made the move to the new record. Otherwise this self-titled project may be even more susceptible to second guessing.
If there is any problem with the new record, it might be that the old material outclasses the new. Or is this one of the tricks the mind plays on itself when it grows so fond of songs, anything appearing afterwards finds second favor? See, this is why reviewing an album like this can be perilous. Isn’t it usually the first album we hear from and artist that goes on to be our favorite?
There is nothing wrong with the songwriting or approach to the new songs like “Where Ya Been?” but they just don’t seem to hold the same energy and passion of those original tracks. “Sometimes” opens the album and was one of the standouts on the original record. Then as you go through a few of the new songs, you’re not opposed to them in any way, it’s just that when you get to “Working Man’s Dream” and “Glory and the Grace,” you’re reminded why Luke Bell is not just a classic throwback artist that relies on style, but a singular talent with a voice and approach to traditional country we haven’t heard before.
Truth be told, that original Luke Bell record also had some lesser-appealing material. That’s why despite all the high praise, Saving Country Music stopped short of giving it a full “two gun” rating. I wouldn’t call these new songs filler as much as some of Luke Bell’s songs are such flaming arrows landing right in the bulls-eye of country music gold, anything will feel outclassed beside them. The new song “Ragtime Troubles” that appears next to last in the track list has that quality, and can be bookended in by the older songs “The Bullfighter” and “The Great Pretender” and stand tall beside them.
READ: Luke Bell On a Promising Path Ahead of Self-Titled Release
Luke Bell has a bright future in music … if he wants to. And that might be the biggest question remaining. This self-titled debut will be all brand new to most, and by the grace of some really amazing songs, his audience will continue to swell. Keeping his authenticity and voice as he transitions from a drifting Wyoming cowboy to a professional musician will be a challenge, but it’s one worth fighting, because country music needs more artists like Luke Bell who find the business and the yearning for the spotlight second nature, and less of the folks who crave the spotlight as their sole purpose.
1 3/4 Guns Up (8/10)
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Country Music Archive Brazil
June 22, 2016 @ 6:49 pm
Badass!
Turd Ferguson
June 22, 2016 @ 6:50 pm
I enjoy the entire album, but I actually find “Loretta” and “Where Ya Been” to be amongst my top 3-4 songs on it. Different strokes, I suppose.
Frank the Tank
June 22, 2016 @ 8:47 pm
Those are two of my favourites as well. I hadn’t listened to his previous release so the album was all new to me.
Overall, this album is excellent – I love the variety in styles between the songs while still being wholeheartedly country.
Trigger
June 22, 2016 @ 8:47 pm
There is not a song on this album that I didn’t like. I just like some songs more than others. As I alluded to above, I don’t feel like I was qualified to review this album. Or maybe more aptly put, I should have been disqualified from reviewing this album. I didn’t want to review it. I did a long feature on Luke a couple of weeks back, and was hoping to leave it at that. But I had so many requests for a review, I wrote one. It’s really hard to write about the same music twice. And all that I knew to do was to do what I always try to do, which is to be as honest as possible, and hope folks can respect that.
I think this is a great record.
Jim Bob
June 23, 2016 @ 5:31 am
For what it’s worth, I thought it was a great review. Appreciated the upfront honesty about your difficulty in reviewing this. In any case, hopefully some people’ll see this who missed your last article, give him a chance, and become new fans. Can’t hurt
Wayfast
June 22, 2016 @ 6:51 pm
Loretta was my favorite song off of “don’t mind if I do”… That’s an old one also.
BrettS
June 22, 2016 @ 6:51 pm
Really awesome sound this guy has. Been loving his music since you brought him up a few weeks ago.
ShadeGrown
June 22, 2016 @ 7:30 pm
Man, I like this! Thanks for the review.
hoptowntiger94
June 22, 2016 @ 8:23 pm
There’s always one in a crowd: Rattlesnake Man, Cold Stew, and Black Crowes (and Loretta) were my favorite tracks from Don’t Mind if I Do. So, I have no idea how they picked the songs carried over to the major release.
I wish all the best for Luke Bell. But, this is more like an EP for me.
Blackwater
June 22, 2016 @ 10:01 pm
I was listening to his first album at work today… it is outstanding. He’s got a voice with a perfect blend of confidence and authenticity that few can match. His style of music is great too… very few that attempt it can pull it off, but he does! And he’s 26! Hope he has a long and distinguished career and doesn’t make any RnB albums.
RoughRider
June 23, 2016 @ 12:01 am
Bought both of his albums at the same time last week. All the songs are great, but Daydream Blues from the first one is probably my favorite overall. Funny, he’s only put out what amounts to an album and a half and he already has more songs with substance than most of the mainstream artists combined.
I guess he hasn’t recorded this one yet, but it’s a great song too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lybpDeHPj8Y
AC_86
June 23, 2016 @ 12:55 am
Been looking forward to this since I heard it was being released. I had bought “Don’t Mind if I Do” after reading the review on SCM over 2 years ago. Luke Bell is brilliant and I hope people really take to this new album. He deserves to be appreciated.
AC86
Belfast, NI
Justin
June 23, 2016 @ 2:32 am
Is this dude kin to Adam Sandler?
Jim Bob
June 23, 2016 @ 5:22 am
I’ve had his NY show on youtube on repeat since I heard about him in your last article and his CD going since it was delivered last week. So, it’s all new to me and is easily one of my favorite albums, ever.
I had the same feeling listening to this as the first time I heard High Top Mountain-just a “wtf?! They still make music like this? Sweet!!”
Basically, I’ve gone super-fan-girl for Luke Bell as much, or possibly more, than when I first heard Sturgill or Turnpike. Just hope like hell Luke plays a show in Missouri cause I’d love to see this guy live
RD
June 23, 2016 @ 5:33 am
Luke Bell? Hell, he’s no Luke Bryan.
scott
June 23, 2016 @ 8:54 am
Yeah, but really, who is?
WestTexasRain
June 23, 2016 @ 8:57 am
The world doesn’t need another Luke bryan one is to many.
Zackary Kephart
June 23, 2016 @ 5:54 am
Which 5 tracks actually did carry over to this album?
I appreciate the honesty Trigger. I had the benefit (bad choice of words but let’s go with it) of coming into this album totally fresh. As such I probably enjoyed this album a lot more since it was all new to me. While so many people both mainstream and independent are chasing some type of trend, it was nice to hear an artist go back to the roots of country music and just make the album that they wanted to.
I found “Loretta” and “Where Ya Been” to be the strongest tracks but that’s just my opinion. I also love how much he emulates Merle Haggard on “The Bullfighter”.
I hope this album takes Luke to the next level because if you ask me, he totally deserves it.
Great review!
Jim Bob
June 23, 2016 @ 9:13 am
Sometimes, working man’s dream, glory and the grace, Loretta, and the great pretender.
Ballgame
June 23, 2016 @ 11:30 am
Trig, what do you say to somebody like me that loves Luke Bell’s album but also enjoys the hell out of some of the ones on your worst list, such as Houser, Morris, and Swindell albums. Can’t turn Jon Pardi’s album off. Huge Dierks fan but a tad underwhelmed by Black after Riser, which I thought was fantastic. Urban’s album is all over the place and I don’t care for Kane Brown. Is it possible for someone to like both ends of the country spectrum, so to speak?
Trigger
June 23, 2016 @ 11:57 am
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with liking the best of mainstream country. The best of the mainstream still may be considered mediocre by many independent fans, but I purposely try to seek out what is good in the mainstream, or even the stuff that is better than average, and shine a spotlight on it, sometimes to the disappointment and mumbles of independent fans. If 90% of mainstream country music is terrible, that means there is still 10% out there worth listening to. And if we want music to get better for everyone, we should pay attention to that 10% and hope it grows. Jon Pardi, Brandy Clark, parts of Tim McGraw’s new album, there is some good stuff out there. That is the reason I try to highlight good music no matter where it comes from, whether it’s underground, mainstream, independent, Texas country, bluegrass, deep blues, you name it. I don’t see the point in zeroing in on one specific “scene” or segment. Why not enjoy the best of all of them, including the mainstream?
So I say more power to you.
Ballgame
June 23, 2016 @ 12:18 pm
Fair enough. Thank you and I’ve always enjoyed your view and your witty ability to write very creatively. I will agree that the mainstream artists that I enjoy don’t employ near enough steel guitar or fiddle these days, but I think a lot of the lyrics still qualify as country. Love Brandy Clark’s work as well. Good points. I will always look forward to your reviews even if I give you a hard time every now and again!
Bill Roy
June 23, 2016 @ 11:54 am
Sometimes and Where ya been are my two favorites.
He seems like a real down to earth young man. He puts on quite a show without needing a light show or shaking his hips. Definitely refreshing to see. Hoping he has a long and successful career, in whatever he chooses to do.
BJones
June 24, 2016 @ 5:48 am
gold. this year’s starting to pick up a bit.
Jimbo
June 24, 2016 @ 6:19 am
Finally a solid county album. Just got it yesterday and have had it on repeat. Thanks Trig!
Tex019
June 25, 2016 @ 11:09 am
Since I bought the album midweek, I have probably listened to it from beginning to end 5 times. It is a great album.
Camie Jo
June 26, 2016 @ 10:08 am
Wahooo, Luke !
And a big shout out to Cody, Wyoming. 😀
Acca Dacca
June 28, 2016 @ 8:22 pm
Question: certain songs on this album are from Don’t Mind If I Do, but are they the same recordings? As in, did Luke re-record some of these songs like many artists do after they score a deal post-indie albums? Even if they’re the same recordings they might have been tampered with and remixed or something. Just curious, as I’m a completist.
Trigger
June 28, 2016 @ 10:46 pm
From my understanding, the old songs on the new album are the exact same recordings. I would imagine they might be remastered with the new tracks to make sure the record didn’t have any volume issues and for tracking and such. But otherwise, the songs sound exactly the same. Also, the new songs were done in the same studio, with much of the same personnel to make it feel seamless. From a production standpoint, I think they did a good job blending the two sessions.
Leaf
June 28, 2016 @ 9:37 pm
Awesome album! Thanks for the review which led me to yet another new treasure.