Luke Rathborne, Luke Rathborne Album Review
This offering from 22-year-old melancholic singer-songwriter Luke Rathborne opens with strummed acoustic guitar and synth string backings beneath Rathborne's strained yet entrancing vocals which combine elements of Eels' Mark Oliver Everett and songwriting great Bob Dylan. The track gradually builds with layers of instruments which flank the heartfelt lyrics, eventually charging into a catchy full band chorus. Sounding resemblance to indie folkers Hal and Gomez, 'Dog Years' then sounds a 6/8 country kind of feel which lilts out through a heartfelt ballad to close with a catchy sha la la refrain; already evidencing a great maturity in Luke Rathborne's songwriting. With a similarly slow and heart wrenching vibe to the track that preceded it, the piano and strummed guitar accompanied 'Pantomime Fear' is a gentle and down tempo track with a sombre and melancholic feel about it and later sounds a simple yet moving gesture of a guitar solo, later built up further with layers of subtle brass backings.
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