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And You Are Me

And You Are Me (eOne)

Reviewed by Kevin Curtin, Fri., Sept. 7, 2012

Down South Jukin': (l-r) Josh Greco, Kevin Galloway, Hal Vorphal, and Mike Carpenter
Down South Jukin': (l-r) Josh Greco, Kevin Galloway, Hal Vorphal, and Mike Carpenter

  • Think Memphis

    Music industry alignment visits Uncle Lucius

    BY JIM CALIGIURI

  • And You Are Me

    BY KEVIN CURTIN

Uncle Lucius

And You Are Me (eOne)

Stewing together the choicest Southwestern roots – country, rock, folk, new blues, and R&B – Uncle Lucius' third LP takes familiar sounds to original places. Launching bluesy rumble "Set Ourselves Free" and Skynyrd-ish lead single "Pocket Full of Misery," the Austin fivepiece goes for the gusto on the front end of And You Are Me, with its propulsive horns and choruses, yet it's the staples – Kevin Galloway's soulful vocals and Mike Carpenter's hammer/slide melody riffs – that earn the band its keep. These constants carry the band through 11 distinct and variant songs, the best of which, "Keep the Wolves Away," pits Carpenter's gut-wrenching voice with gentle accordion and a singular bass drum kick for a soul-stirring folk ballad. While the lion's share of arrangements are tight and intuitive, the band delves into an unforeseen four-part vocal round on "Somewhere Else" and shows off its instrumental prowess with extended jams on "All We've Got Is Now," which hangs a funk guitar and whirling organ leads on a cowbell pulse. "There Is No End" betrays trace Black Sabbath influences. The ground And You Are Me walks remains long trod, but Uncle Lucius' stride covers a stylistic odyssey.

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