Inviting EP sampler of singer-songwriter psych, pop, folk and blues

Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Luther Russell previews his upcoming double album The Invisible Audience with this diverse six-song sampler. Variety has always been one of Russell’s strong point, and here he offers a mix of hypnotic modern rock, drifting country-folk, chugging minimalist blues, gutsy power pop, and an airy piano waltz. There are droplets of 1970s Canterbury prog-rock, Meddle-era Pink Floyd, Revolver-era psychedelia (including fantastic “Rain” styled McCartney high-fret bass trills at the end of “Tomorrow’s Papers”) and the modern iterations of Oasis. It’s a lot to fit into nineteen minutes, but Russell strings it together with terrific fluidity, gaining bonus points for the electric sitar sound on the title track.

Even more impressive is the ensemble sound Russell fashions from his overdubbed playing, never once suffering from the jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none syndrome that plagues many one-man bands. The album’s title track is a swirl of revitalization and multicolored dust found in the freedom of two wheels on the open road, and the closing “Somehow or Another,” sung with Sarabeth Tucek, imagines a fiery end; in between Russell haunts with the wordless vocalizations of “Dead Sun Blues” and “Et Al.” One can imagine how this variety will expand on the forthcoming album, but here it feels complete at EP length. Listen to this as a digital download or on the limited edition white vinyl disc – but do listen! [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

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