Austin Lucas - A New Home in the Old World

I've been meaning to write about this absolutely wonderful album for weeks.  Don't let my delay in writing this review lead you to believe that this is anything less than the best country record that I have heard in years.  I love country music, Nashville not so much.  Far too much emphasis on looks and production and not enough on talent.  Austin Lucas however is the real deal.  He has a voice that is all high lonesome vibrato and sweetness.  The boy can flat out sing country music.

You want your country to rock (albeit like rem) check out Thunder Rail.  Run Around is all Appalachian breakdown that misses nothing but the jug being passed around. Sleep Well featuring Austin's sister Chloe is another standout that folks who listen to country radio should hear.  This is what country is supposed to sound like, not the pre-packaged Rascal Flatts/Tim McGraw/Carrie Underwood crap.  Go drop the needle on Feast, which is classic country gospel.  Hallelujah and Amen indeed.  This is country music from the heart.  Each and every track on the album is a keeper.  You can grab A New Home in the Old World on CD or colored vinyl over at Last Chance Records.  Grab the vinyl...it sounds fantastic.

Austin Lucas has crafted a modern country masterpiece.  My son calls it folk-punk because he refuses to accept the idea that country music, when played like this, is simply great music.  Whatever you want to call this it is without a doubt one of the best albums of the year and it gets the OldRockr1 Seal of Approval!







If you like this you need to check out Bristle Ridge by Austin and Chuck Ragan from a couple of years back.  To quote Chuck Ragan “the entire record has a very strong sense of bluegrass, folk and old time gospel with a certain feel of exactly where we were and what was going on when we layed it down”.  It does and you should hear it.