Lucera

Review Snapshot:
An EP of delicately crafted hushed rock that at times leans toward alt country influences.

Full review:
The first thing that stands out about this CD, compared with EPs from other upcoming Irish bands, is that the computer recognises each track. Despite a very sketchy cover print, this CD is put together as professionally as one could hope from a struggling band. But the big question is what is the music like? It is, thankfully, original and intriguing.

With the first track 'Mountain Man', lead singer Darren Timony opens up the EP with some gentle suffering on the back of excellent guitar playing – 'You know yourself / You lost yourself / Told myself you'd get through this'. The tempo is then raised slightly on 'Right Or Wrong' where the percussion skills of Donal Herlihy snake around Timony's now intimate vocals, bordering between a delectable flavour of vulnerable distinction and a soft pitched Eddie Veder. The song itself ('Right Or Wrong') has a sombre charm that is typical of the band's sound, one not reminiscent of dirge-like ballads but more of atmospheric samples of aching rock. The atmosphere created on the CD comes in the form of excellent guitar sounds, which are down to some outstanding riff work by Martin O'Mahoney, some snaring bass playing from Tom Dillane and gritty rhythm guitar mastery by Darren Timony.

Lucera come across as being a close-knit unit, which transcends into brilliantly administered music. Each song on this eight track EP captures elements of this but none more so than 'Walkin' where the instrumentation and vocals click so well. This is followed by closing track 'The Greatest Day' and what a chillingly tender song to end on too. A simple beat lures you in just as the vocals appear and again some solid guitar work puts the structure in place. Some whining violin then comes in, predisposing an eerie yet almost mystical backdrop. It ends the EP with a signature of satisfaction that hums right through to the last note.

Lucera will only improve on the formula that makes them memorable. Go along to their shows and buy this release, it is certainly worth it. - Gar - Cluas.com

I've always been unsure about the Sugar Club as a venue. The idea of a gig venue in a theatre style, where people have no choice but to sit and are therefore under no obligation to get enthusiastic about the band, is unusual. This in turn makes it more difficult for the band to elicit a satisfactory crowd reaction.

The combination of four men, drummer, bassist, Lead guitarist and Singer with an acoustic didn’t work well for Wicker and I was ready to write Lucera off immediately.

Thankfully I didn’t because they then proceeded to suitably impress. A strong opener is always essential and “Right or Wrong” is just that. It’s a pumping drum and bass led song with the guitarist licking like crazy…and other rock clichés. First impressions show that they are an extremely competent band. The drummer utilises his bass drums to great tribal effect and the guitarist can riff with the best of them. The singer has a great husky voice that at times recalls certain elements of Bob Dylan, David Gray, Nick Drake and Adam Duritz of Counting Crows, and the bass player?…well, more on him later.

After their impressive opener the first half of the set seems to plod along in a kind of soft American alternative rock music in the style of Live or the aforementioned Counting Crows. Six songs in though and “Goin’ Down” and “What do you want?” seal the deal. Plain and simple: they rock. They win the crowd over and they’re on to a winner.

They launch into a wall-of-sound driving rock set that in recent years has been adopted by The Music and will hopefully be used more and more until it is inevitably overdone. God forbid. It is in this final trio of songs “ Stormchaser”, “Walkin’” and “Cuban” that the star of the show emerges.

I mentioned earlier that there would be more on the bass player and I’m not one to disappoint. The man controls both the sound and the presence. With an effortless ease he manages to lash out deep and funky bass-lines that had my mate who normally criticises everyone, to exclaim “Oh my God he rocks”. ‘Nuff said? No? Well I agreed with him. This is not to say that the other members didn’t get into it as well, but it just seems that since Oasis made comments years ago about how people who move around on stage look stupid, right before they proceeded to bore the arse off everyone by remaining motionless while playing, that a lot of people have taken this to heart and followed suit. Time has thought us however that Oasis looked stupid by being so statue-like on stage and that everyone should stop being so bloody self-conscious and go back to looking like they’re enjoying playing music. Lucera, your bass player can do it, why can’t you?

It is in the last few songs that they find their niche and end on a high note which in me inspired both a desire to check out the album, (which no doubt is currently residing in your local independent record store) and to see the live again, Which was surely the point, no?

Independent Review by:-
EVIL BOB

- Evil Bob - RoadhouseMag.com