Lucero – When You Found Me

Memphis alt-rock and Americana quintet Lucero have always been a go-to staple for those looking for something rustic, authentic and with heart.  Since returning to their own label, Liberty & Lament, the band has explored their more low-key, atmospheric selves.  Built around a country drawl with organ and piano keys to round out their dusty overtones, their band’s latest full length, When You Found Me, has a distinct New London Fire vibe.  The band settles into a dark, subdued atmosphere that aligns with the album art’s backdrop of celestial twilight.

When You Found Me opens with the moody, tone-setting prelude, “Have You Lost Your Way.”  Heavy on subtle production and echoic reverb, the song’s long, drawn out interplay between piano keys and guitar chords makes for a wispy, ephemeral feel made all the more impactful in the absence of percussive elements.  Front man Ben Nichol’s signature rasp is on full display but with a sense of impending urgency and consequence typically absent from the alt-country scene.  The song’s sense of anticipation swells throughout, never conceding or letting up in spirit.  While some may point out that the song never reaches a towering climax, the track establishes a sense of weight and emotional fortitude leading into the rest of the record.

Following introductions, a sense of country swagger seeps into the foundation of subsequent songs.  “Outrun the Moon” staggers forth with a voice equal parts whisky and wisdom in a cautionary tale of stretching one’s limits, while “Coffin Nails” picks the tempo up to a trot for a piano-enhanced narrative-heavy reflective ride.  More conventional tunes like “Good as Gone” and “The Match” are melodically uplifting even with their rather cryptic lyrical delivery. The latter in particular paints a picture of being thrown out of a roadside country bar only to stumble into a mysterious supernatural encounter. The description of chasing “a pure white doe at the edge of the woods” that transforms into a weeping, white dressed woman at the edge of a lake is as captivating as a fairytale.  These are transfixing moments sure to ground listeners in awe and wonder.

Fans of rustic, punk-influenced Americana will find When You Found Me an engrossing change of pace.  Rooted in a history of narrative storytelling, the band maintains the likeness to contemporaries Arliss Nancy and Tin Horn Prayer with the wisdom and maturity of age.  Returning to the New London Fire vibe – When You Found Me feels atmospherically very close  The Dirt The Blood The Faith in its brand of raw, uninhibited honesty – this is very good news.  While elements of When You Found Me are catchy, the band has moved beyond trying to write a conventional “hit,” instead pouring their hearts into thematically intelligent tunes aimed to surprise and delight.  Long time Lucero fans will appreciate the subtle risks the band takes to keep listeners engaged all these years later.