Decent release with an old fashioned feel to it, from Canadian singer-songwriter.
Singer-songwriter Zachary Lucky was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada but is currently based in Ontario; he’s known as “the Laureate of the lonesome song” and has some solid songwriting influences, in Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark. Lucky is grandson of legendary Canadian country singer and pioneer, Smilin’ Johnnie Lucky (Smilin’ Johnnie And His Prairie Pals); known for, in 1963, being the first entertainer to travel north of the Arctic Circle to play shows.
“The Wind” is Lucky’s sixth solo LP, his album releases stretch back to 2010, with his debut outing being “Come and Gone“. “The Wind” was co-produced by Lucky and Benjamin Dakota Rogers and recorded at Rogers’ recording studio in Scotland, Ontario. A varied cast of musicians was drafted in to play on the record, including Miles Zurawell on dobro, esteemed mandolin player Andrew Collins, fiddler Sam Clark (Toronto folk duo Basset and the band Polky), Peter Klaassen (Polky) on upright bass, jazz drummer Will Fisher and vocalist Rebekah Hawker. Obvious care and attention has been taken to get the sound desired by Lucky and Rogers, with the use of vintage analogue equipment and ribbon microphones; this is a good sounding record.
Proceedings get under way with ‘The Wind‘, a short, acoustic-guitar centred instrumental, before the record kicks off properly with ‘Good at Gettin’ Gone‘, which appears to be about the life of a travelling musician, always on the road and not making much money. Lucky sings “I’m singing in a barroom, North Ontario, I get to wonderin’, What the hell’s this for, Singing for the tip jar, It’s never much you know, Hundred miles from nowhere, Yes I’m good at getting gone“. ‘Jasper‘ is one of the singles issue prior to the LP’s release; it’s a catchy tune, starting with mandolin, before dobro becomes the dominant instrument.
‘Do You Still Miss Me (When You’re Stoned)‘ is a highlight on the record. It’s a slow song with the acoustic guitar and the dobro (including a neat solo) featured. It’s another song about leaving; “Well it’s sure been a long time, Since I’ve been home, I wonder how you’re keeping, Are you sleeping alone, You said you miss me, Whenever you get stoned, It’s sure been a long time, I didn’t mean to go“. The LP’s second single ‘Ramblin’ Kind‘ is another really good song, a little faster, and another story of travelling; “Well I’ve been from Tulsa, Across that great divide, Only looking for one thing, A little peace of mind“. While ‘John‘ sees another subject working as a driver; “I work for the county, Driving snow plows in the winter time“, again there is thought of leaving, however this time John stays; “When I met Shirley I was just 17, Soon as we locked eyes, I knew that I’d never leave“.
Third single ‘Water in the Fuel‘ was written by Canadian alternative country singer songwriter Fred Eaglesmith; the only track here not penned by Lucky. The subject is a trucker driving a troublesome vehicle, “The light keeps coming on, I got water in the fuel, My brakes are gone, Got a left front tire throwing thread“, dreaming of a better life. This features some nice harmony vocals by Rebekah Hawker. ‘Wild Rose County‘ again seems to be about a driver (perhaps the same one?) “In wild rose county, Oh those mountains stand so tall, I’ve been gone so long, I’ve got no where left to go”. At least the vehicle doesn’t get a mention, so perhaps that’s been fixed, or replaced. The driver is missing his partner back home, having been away for three long months, and a quick check of an online map will tell you that white rose county is approximately 2,300 miles from Toronto; there’s a touch of desperation in the driver’s words, “Stuck in wild rose county with no way to get home“.
There are some good songs on this record, with well-thought-out lyrics and simple, sparse arrangements which highlight the qualities in Lucky’s voice (it’s rich and full); there are a number of songs with a theme of travelling, leaving, or wanting to be somewhere else. In general, the more up tempo songs on this record are the ones that hold the attention; with the exception of ‘Do You Still Miss Me (When You’re Stoned)‘, some of the slower ones have a tendency to let you drift off. That said, there’s a certain charm to the songs and the performances, the album coming across as a little old fashioned and none the worse for that.
