Uncle Lucius
Pick Your Head Up
If you need to put your troubles behind you for a little while slap Pick Your Head Up into your CD player and float away to the rhythm of Uncle
Lucius.
To get a feel of their sound, imagine that Ian Moore and Kent “Omar & the Howlers” Dykes had a love child that was raised listening to only Gov’t Mule and The Black Crowes. That should do it. They’ve got a southern rock gospel vibe to them. I was unfamiliar with this band before this CD came to my attention, but have learned since that this is their second release, a follow up to 2006’s Something They
Ain’t.
When I first listened to this album, released back in April, I thought these guys were much, much older than they are. This sound is certainly more mature than the ages of the members.
The disc kicks off with the gospel-influenced and horn driven “Pick Your Head Up” before launching into the get-off-your-ass-and-dance “Everybody Got Soul,” and slowing back down to the guitar grinding tribute to the poison of choice in “Liquor Store”. Three very different sounds in three songs. Nice.
Probably my favorite track on Pick Your Head Up is the haunting “A Million Ways”. It’s a track that talks about the unlearning of everything the world crams down your throat since birth. ‘Believed in truth read by talking heads /I formed my opinions around the words they said /Told me what to buy and the price I should pay /I’ve been deceived in a million
ways. In all, the eleven-track album gives you almost 40 minutes of great southern-drenched whiskey driven rock.
Uncle Lucius is made up of Kevin Galloway (vocals, rhythm guitar), Mike Carpenter (guitar, harmonica), Hal Vorpahl (bass) and Josh Greco (drums). They are playing all over Austin in the coming months. I’m going to make it a point to check them out live. You should too.
- Sean Claes -
Southwest Blues CD Review - October 2009
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