Luke Elliot - Death of a Widow - (Yerbird Records)

You don’t so much listen to Luke Elliot's music as you absorb it — almost like a steaming aural shower that washes over you, and it stings a bit. The second release from Connecticut singer/songwriter (and fixture on the NYC performance circuit) is the five-song EP Death of a Widow, which features a full-on barrage of imagery ranging from
pirates and preachers to sinking ships and old oak trees.

It’s a bit overwhelming to delve into at first, but like a classic Faulkner novel (take your pick of the major works likeAbsalom, Absalom!, Light in August, or The Sound and the Fury) once you’re in, there are many rewards. Also, with the more literate songwriters like Dylan and Elvis Costello, it takes a few listens to really get these songs, and although your interpretation may be different from the next guy’s, it’s still meaningful and worth the effort.

“Get ‘Em While They’re Hot”, the opening track of Death of A Widow (a title with grave and weighty subtext if ever there was one), begins with primal drum and bass and mysterious synth-vibes with a line that lets us know exactly the odd journey we’re undertaking: “Oh I’m crossing muddy waters, boys./Ten feet to grace, but the gators they’re all circling below.” Throughout, Elliot’s voice contains a baffled amazement, straddling a border between rationality and insanity. It’s simultaneously unsettling and enthralling. “You never know what kind of trouble success may bring,” he crows. “Well if this don’t work I don’t know what in the world I’m gonna do./I have been stuck here for years with you.”

It’s the same itchy quality one gets from Tom Waits or Nick Cave at their most troubling and gritty best.

“When That Great Ship Went Down” sounds like a dark love song disguised as a sea shanty containing so many love-as-maritime-disaster metaphors that you can almost taste the salt on your lips, “drowning in the sea’s cruel laughter.”

“Thing to Thing” is a tale of obsession and desire that sounds oddly reminiscent of “Ballad of A Thin Man” yet retaining an ancient originality all its own, while the stripped-down guitar/vocal on “The World Ain’t A Friend of Mine” could be a lost Woody Guthrie tune (of course, we at ATF simply love that): “The dirt that’s on my hands suddenly turns to sand/And it slips off into the sea.”

Overall, Death of A Widow has a dusty, timeless quality like that of roaming balladeers, buskers, honky tonk saloon piano players, and this is especially prevalent on the title track. Elliot covers so much ground here that it’s difficult to keep up, but the song is swaddled in melodies befitting a religious hymn. Again, with repeated listenings you pick up little gems here and there. It helps, too, that he’s backed by some amazing New York City musicians: Richard Russano (electric guitar), Ryan Stokes (drums, accordion, trumpet), Ben Fleisher (bass) and Mike Skaggs (bass).

Hats off to the talented Dave Van Witt (of Sidewalk Dave) who mixed the recordings.

This one is highly recommended, and we look forward to more enticing and baffling journeys from Luke Elliot in the future.

-Jim Simpson
 

Making a Mix with Luke Elliot

FRIDAY, MAY 28, 2010

Written By Patrick Ferrucci

Who: Luke Elliot, a New Jersey-born New Haven resident.  The singer/songwriter (www.myspace.com/lukeelliot) writes piano-based pop that has a real old-time feel.  It's really timeless music, the kind of tunes you could easily imagine coming out of the '70s.  It's big, well-produced and filled with instrumental surprises.  The 25-year-old performs with a three-piece band behind him.

Where you can see him: Luke and his band will be at Cafe Nine at 9 p.m. Thursday. He’ll be opening for the very good Sidewalk Dave, another New Haven act that specializes in making music for today that sounds a wee bit timeless. But enough with all this, here’s Luke’s mix:

1) “Four Women,” Nina Simone — This is one of the angriest, poignant and powerful songs I’ve ever heard.

2) “He Gives Us All His Love,” Randy Newman — I’m not sure whether Randy meant for this song to be satirical or not, but whenever I listen to it, I’m reminded that it doesn’t matter. Songs always mean different things to different people. It’s all about interpretation.

3) “Dust My Broom,” Elmore James — This song just makes me feel cool.

4) “I Keep a Close Watch,” John Cale — It was a toss up between this and his version of Elvis’ “Heartbreak Hotel,” but this song is just so much sadder. I’m a sucker for the tear-jerkers.

5) “Corrine, Corrina,” Big Joe Turner — This song has been recorded by so many artists so many times. I first heard Bob Dylan’s version when I was 11, and fell in love with it, but I think Big Joe does it the best.

6) “Don’t Think It Ain’t Been Fun, Dear (Cuz It Ain’t),” Lefty Frizzell — This is one of the smartest songs I’ve ever heard.

7) “Keep on the Sunny Side,” The Carter Family — No one can sings songs like this anymore.

8) “New Orleans Fucntion,” Louis Armstrong — Have you ever heard this song!!!!!!?

9) “Temptation,” Tom Waits (This song was chosen by my guitarist, Rich Russano) — The title says it all.

10) "Tain't Nobody's Business if I do," Bessie Smith — Another song covered by so many artists.  I can't really relate to the particulars of what Bessie's singing about here, but whenever I hear her sing it, I feel like I can.

Luke Elliot - "Death of a Widow" CD EP Review

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Luke Elliot is a young songwriter with an old soul. On his second disc,
“Death of a Widow”, Elliot creates predominately dark-hued musical
landscapes which serves as backdrop to his tales of love, heartbreak and
obsession. There are elements of Americana (specifically Faulkner, Dylan and Cohen) 
in this disc’s five tracks but Elliot ‘modernizes’ the classic Americana sound into
something that is both delicate but dangerous. Elliot’s clear vocals drive each
song (in addition to driving home the lyrics) and the vocals are complemented by
brooding piano and guitar arrangements. The end result has Elliot carving out his
own niche where he sounds more like an alt-folk “cousin” to John Cale or a
less-deranged Nick Cave than the aforementioned Americana artists. 

Luke Elliot- Death of A Widow [EP]

October 28, 2010

 Luke Elliot’s music does not sound modern. It sounds like it was recorded in a basement, where the water leaks from the ceiling and smoke stains substitute for wallpaper. In other words, it sounds like it was recorded where every great record ever made was created, i.e. Exile on Main Street, Highway 61 Revisited, and most of Tom Wait’s catalog.Death of a Widow begins with a sinewy guitar-piano romp called “Get ‘Em While They’re Hot” that sounds as close to Tom Waits as you’d want a young singer-songwriter to sound. It’s followed by the Dylan/Tallest Man on Earth sounding “When the Ship Goes Down”, perhaps my favorite song on the sterling EP. The record moves from there continually exploring the dark side of Americana. Fans of Tom Waits, AA Bondy, Tallest Man on Earth would do well to check out this ragged Americana talent out. Props to Side Walk Dave’s Dave Van Witt for capturing the ragged, but right sound (it’s tougher than it sounds).