Walker Lukens
Ain't Got a Reason (Modern Outsider)
Reviewed by Doug Freeman, Fri., March 31, 2017
Walker Lukens' madcap pop drifted through stylistic explorations beginning on 2013 debut Devoted before finding sure footing with producer Jim Eno, who's helped wrangle his fellow local's eccentricities into sharp pop nuggets. Like November EP Never Understood, that Spoon influence rides high behind jagged riffs, unexpected turns, and uniquely powerful hooks. Opener "Love Me Tender (Don't Be Cruel)" pitches soulfully against the rocking "Where Is Thunder Road?," while "Simple Man" settles smoothly against the punctured rhythm of the closing title track.
