Luke Nares - Wool and Howl

Luke Nares: folk music with a hint of moral consciousness
By Kate Morawetz in Entertainment, Music on November 04, 2009

Luke Nares, a singer-songwriter from Pottageville, Ont., has a sweet, throaty croon that is capable of making anyone believe in the change and awareness needed to reinvent our generation.
This accomplishment is nothing short of deserving for the young musician and is a testament to the old soul that resides within.
His sophomore album Sleepwalking Race delicately weaves personal stories with universal themes that examine economic and environmental mindfulness and renewal.
Sticking to a philosophy that is a product of both Luke’s personal experience as well as his work with Me to We, he suggests we should embrace the idea that we can all build a better life and our ideal world by reaching out to others.
Me to We is an offshoot of the organization Free the Children, and can best be described as a new kind of social enterprise for people who want to help change the world through their daily choices. The organization is all about proposing a shift in the way we think; it’s about spreading positive messages and letting your voice be heard. Most importantly, it’s about stirring your soul from complacency.
The ideas found within the organization are easily portrayed through some of Luke’s music and work well to augment his own values and daily philosophies.
Luke’s ability to see the positive in our turbulent world merges with his talent to write music that speaks so genuinely to this cause. His songs act as a testimony and helpful criticism about the choices we make which, in turn, affect the outcomes of our lives, our environment and the lives of all others around the world.
Songs such as “Before We’re Gone” exemplify Luke’s ability to discuss the neglect of responsible expression as a direct cause of social inadequacies, and his urge toward conscious-minded action.

“…the problem is that our hurt in the developed world is usually on an emotional level and in the developing world the foundation of hurt and death is due to a lack of the basic necessities of life… if we can feel out our own past than we will see, as well as understand the connection between our existence and that of a stranger on the other side of the world…” - By Kate Morawetz in Entertainment, Music on November 04, 2009

FOLK ON THE PLATTER
By Brent Jeffries


LUKE NARES-Sleepwalking Race
Luke Nares music-2008-Socan

One of the standouts at the Acoustic Youth Showcase Nares is a fresh face with a great career ahead of him. His edgy vocals are fresh, vibrant and speak to the listening ear.

The title track Sleepwalking Race opens this disc. A gentle guitar playing opens the song and quickly captures the audiences attention with an almost effortless sound. Nares rich vocals follow and join in with the notes to deliver a captivating opening performance.

Before We’re Gone could easily have been one of the opening numbers at Woodstock. It speaks to revolution, and decision making and rocks out with Slide Guitar and Bass. Reminiscent of early Buffalo Springfield tracks Before We’re Gone is haunting. Background vocals are provided by Sheila Carabine who some will recognize as the LA or (one half ) of DALA.

Woman is rich with passion and prose. The gentle beat of the drums by Michael Kennedy serve as a perfect backdrop for Nares harmonies. Beautifully produced this is a great debut from an up and coming artist. I am sure this artist will be showing up at Festivals in the near future. As Good as New is a relaxing tune best played on the MP3 for long walks in the park or strolling near the waterfront on a Sunday afternoon in the sunshine. The follow up track Balance continues with Nares haunting lyrics and vocal arrangements.
It is fairly apparent that Luke has gathered some of his best friends to add to the mix. They complement each other vocally and musically to create a well-bonded effort.

Kings Of the World is another co-produced song by Luke and David Lotimer. The words seem to dance off the tongue of the singer and leave the notes chasing after the words up and down the frets of the guitars.

Early November is an opportunity to feature the percussion and bass players and allow Nares vocals to take centre stage. The rich sound is captivating, bordering on smooth jazz and effortless. You can’t help but tap your foot to the sounds as they eminate from the speakers. The album is filled with wonderful observations from a young mind about how some of the older minds are behaving. This album makes you think or at least consider about the necessity of protecting the “ball of dirt” we live on called Earth.

In the liner notes Nares gives us a little insight into the motivation for the music. “Sleepwalking Race is a social, cultural and personal reflection of my experiences as a young person living in Canada. My hope is that it acts as a testimony and helpful criticism about the choices we make that in turn affect the outcome of our lives, our environment and the lives of all the others around the world. Please embrace your hurt and lose your hate. Please begin or continue living sustainably.

The album closes with By Now. Vocals once again take centre stage. The music just seems to flow freely from the vocals by Nares and Britton Allison. Recorded in Memphis’ Basement Studio in Aurora and mastered by Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel Mastering in Toronto, this is a very fine effort. The album was made on Recycled Materials. To help save some trees: Lyrics and more info can be found at: Myspace.com/LukeNares



- Georgian Bay Folk Society