Luke Doucet And The White Falcon - Steel City Trawler [2010] [FLAC]

Artist: Luke Doucet And The White Falcon
Release: Steel City Trawler
Discogs: 2450403
Released: 2010-08-31
Label: Six Shooter Records
Catalog#: SIX 056
Format: FLAC / Lossless / Log (100%) / Cue / CD
Country: Canada
Style: Rock, Country Rock

Tracklisting:

01. Monkeys
02. Thinking People
03. Hey Now
04. The Ballad Of Ian Curtis
05. You Gotta Get It
06. Magpie
07. Sundown
08. Dirty, Dirty Blonde
09. Love And A Steady Hand
10. Dusted
11. Some Of You Folks


It’s taken seven studio albums and a trip to Nashville, but Luke Doucet has finally crossed over completely into classic rock territory. That's not a value judgement, mind you. There have been traces of classicism throughout Doucet's career, mostly stemming from his belief that musicianship isn't a four-letter word, and that desire to align with Can-rock’s past has always been a part of his appeal. It's just never been as prominent as it is on Steel City Trawler.

The most obvious example is a cover of Gordon Lightfoot's “Sundown” that might best the original, but it doesn't end there. “Dirty, Dirty Blonde” has a cocky strut that wouldn't sound too out of place sandwiched between “Brown Sugar” and “La Grange” on classic rock radio. “You Gotta Get It” falls somewhere closer to “Down By the River,” only poppier. They work, though, partly because Doucet puts a concerted effort into perfecting his melodies and partly because his eye for seemingly mundane details remains intact — listen to the heartbreaking “The Ballad of Ian Curtis” for proof. But whether he's wallowing in finger-picked balladry or stomping through a solo-heavy rocker, it never feels put on — and that’s why this works. Steel City may sound like it's trawling through your dad's record collection, but that just means it feels like home.