Rating 4.5
Luka Bloom at his finest Would highly recommend,A great blend of lyrics and music this material is not dated. Peddling the Light PoeticThis is Luka Bloom's second album, and it remains an astounding achievement. Like many Irishmen, he has a deep need to brood and give voice to his melancholy. He does so with such grace and passion, that it is hard to not get swept up by his emotional power. At the same time, he's got a delightfully inspiring sense of humor. How else would you explain a faithfully rendered version of LL Cool J's "I Need Love," performed as if it were truly a folk ballad, complete with a fiddler in the fade?Luka's beauty also rests in his national pride, most evident in "This Is Your Country" and in the disc's closing number "Be Well." I remember having to explain the line "an Atlantic sunset fills your mind" to a man who thought that Luka had committed a ridiculous geographical gaffe. But it's easy to hear his commitment to this music in his voice. Only once on "The Acoustic Motorbike" is there a slip into the lyrically awkward, and that his attempt at the vaguely political "Listen To the Hoofbeat." There is still enough firepower musically to cover that minor quibble. He also plays a stunning live show, and if you ever get to see him play, do so. You will be richer for it. Mellow moods and acoustic jams...It's difficult to describe this album as it has a really unique style and sound. For some reason, the word 'cool' comes to mind. I first heard Luka Bloom on some obscure video channel playing his rendition of L.L. Cool J's 'I Need Love'. Luka Bloom's version is fantastic. Rather than drum beats and rap you'll find the acoustic guitar and Luka's accent while 'rapping' setting the song apart. It's worth it for this song alone. As with many pleasantly surprising finds, the rest of the songs are also fantastic. There are some mellow pieces and some rather rocking pieces, all driven by his acoustic guitar. Yet there are other subtle instrumentations that make their way into your hearing with repeated listenings. It has grown on me over the years and I have yet to tire of it. A good find if you're looking for something a bit apart from the mainstream. |
