The phrase ‘local legend’ may be so well-worn as to have a hole in its shoe, but it’s one that’s entirely appropriate for Daniel Lucas, York’s favourite gravel-voiced troubadour who is the axis on which the Boss Caine collective rotate.
A large proportion of the songs on ‘The Rhythm and the Rhyme’, Boss caine’s third full-length album, will be familiar to many both in York and beyond: Lucas can be found playing them alone in pubs and bars and gig venues proper at home and around the country eight nights a week. His hard work ethic is part of his appeal, but ultimately, it all comes down to the fact he’s a brilliant songwriter with a knack for conjuring images and relaying them in the most inimitable, smoky tones.
From the very first track, the world-weary, bleary-eyed ‘Ghosts and Drunks’, the downbeat, late-night / early morning atmosphere of the album is set. ‘A Slave to the Song’ is hushed and bleak
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It’s not all downbeat and heartbreak: ‘Kind of Loving’ is a simple but eloquent expression of romantic joy with a swing it its rhythm and a spring in its step, and ‘The Ballad of Left Hand Luke and Eleanor Louise’ demonstrates Lucas’ knack for neat little vignettes populated by vibrant pen-portrait characters.
In all, ‘The Rhythm and the Rhyme’ is a mature and measured collection of songs that are sincere and chiselled from the rough-hewn rocks of real life into a solid piece of carefully-crafted Americana with heart and soul.
Boss Caine Online
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