Pictures And Sound

Pictures And Sound

Vanguard, 2008

http://www.myspace.com/picturesandsoundmusic

REVIEW BY: Melanie Love

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 08/20/2008

Pictures And Sound, the self-titled debut from former Blue Merle frontman Luke Reynolds’ new project, sounds like what would happen if you crossed the plaintive, scruffily soaring vocals of Coldplay’s Chris Martin with David Gray’s keenly observed lyrics and hazy, slow-building instrumentation. Reynolds himself cites everything from Derek & The Dominoes to Ralph Waldo Emerson to deep winter and vintage hoodies as influences, something which is reflected in the variety that these ten tracks manage to cover. Over the course of barely forty minutes, Reynolds veers through jangly pop, gorgeously lilting harmonies, and a rollicking, powerful pairing with Willie Nelson, all the while putting to paper his clearly felt, precise yet lovely lyrics.

Following the breakup of Blue Merle, Reynolds left Nashville to hole up in the Vermont woods, secluding himself à la Transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau to cull inspiration for this batch of tracks. Collaborating with bassist Dave Wilder and drummer Pete McNeal, with Jacquire King (Modest Mouse, Tom Waits, Kings Of Leon)  producing, my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250 Pictures And Sound has an intriguing sense of rawness, a sprawling openness lingering between the notes. Reynolds, in an interview with Bud Scoppa on his blog, compares it to Impressionist painters “who left space for you to have your own relationship with the piece.”

Opener “Everything Leaves A Mark” pulls you in right from the start with its spacious sound. Reynolds’ sweetly weary vocals echo through the ringing guitars and slightly fuzzy drums and bass as he recounts a single night that sears itself on his consciousness forever, serving as a reminder to live life full to its edge, always. This track, like its follow-up “The Last Ocean,” is over all too soon, leaving you breathless by the time it ends. “Ocean,” meanwhile, is propelled by an irresistibly energetic riff that swerves into poppy, Shins-like harmonies halfway through. It’s the lyrics that really make this one hit home, though, giving weightiness to the otherwise spiraling pep in lines like, “If this was our last waltz would you dance different? / If I was the last ocean, or the first photograph of Earth, would that change what I was worth?”

Overall, Pictures And Sound is remarkably cohesive, zipping along from gem to gem. “It’s You” spins the traditional sappy love ballad on its head, keeping the sentiment but updating it with layered guitars, breezy harmonies, and spot-on lyrics: “It’s you I love, not the thought of you / You’re the proof I use to measure what is true.” “Shadow Boxing” builds churning riffs into an anthemic chorus, while “Big Screen” blends shivering drums and light sparks of guitar, all pulsing with an undercurrent of restlessness (“ It feels like everything’s about to change,” Reynolds laments in between images of flickering television screens, empty skies, and endlessly unfolding roads.)

Meanwhile, the aforementioned Willie Nelson collaboration “Every War” is one of the album’s shining points, their distinctive vocal styles meshing well amid a backdrop of rumbling bass and simmering acoustic guitar, not to mention a memorable Nelson guitar solo. The song’s irrepressibly jaunty instrumentation couples with incisive, topical lyrics throughout, each line so resonant it’s tough to pluck one out of the fold.

It’s too early to tell, but Pictures And Sound’s debut is likely to be a candidate for my Best Of wrap-up this year. It’s a visceral, stunning slice of life from a singer/songwriter who leaves his own indelible mark on everything he touches.

Rating: A-

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© 2008 Melanie Love and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Vanguard, and is used for informational purposes only.