Pictures and Sound
Pictures and Sound
Vanguard
Pictures and Sound, the self-titled debut album from former Blue Merle frontman Luke Reynolds, evokes a slew of other artists and melds them into an album that is laid-back, familiar and altogether different.
The first two tracks sound like reworkings of The Strokes. “Everything Leaves a Mark” sound like a more ethereal Strokes with quick guitar strumming, but more atmospheric electronica. “The Last Ocean” is also Strokes-like except it’s more of a hillbilly singer-songwriter version. “Forever to Reach” is an easy-going tune that would fit right at home on a Ben Harper album. He keeps the feeling on “It’s You” while telling his lover, “It’s you I love and not the thought of you.”
Most of the album is in the singer-songwriter vein, except for “Every War” which has a soft techno beat and just sounds misplaced on the album. To make it sound even more misplaced, Willie Nelson and his trusty guitar are featured on the track. Featuring a country legend on your album couldn’t hurt, but placing him on this of all tracks just sounds wrong.
The best track on the album is the last one, “Space Between the Lines.” A lonely, heart-on-sleeve song about a troubadour, Reynolds sounds like he is singing his autobiography, especially on the chorus: “I don’t follow other’s footsteps/ I’m the wind between the pines/ I wish that I could stay here/ In the space between the lines.”
The self-titled debut from Pictures and Sound is a cornucopia of influences that is pieced together to form a fairly tight-sounding album. With the exception of one song, this is a debut worth listening to.
Pictures and Sound: http://www.picturesandsound.com
