Rust – Luke De-Sciscio (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

I suppose there are worse comparisons to be levelled at you than that of Jeff Buckley.  It might be the result of lazy journalism but it does hold water, not just the similarities in the vocal delivery, but the whole vibe of Rust is filled with elegance, dark subtleties, sensuous emotions and dare I say it…Grace. See, they have even got me doing it now.  But as much as Luke draws on many of the same lyrical themes and musical motifs, it is the fact that he channels this through his own modus operandi, his own personality, his own experiences that gives these songs their own individuality and a life of their own.

And if he is able to create a distance between himself and those obvious historical references, he is also able to out distance modern competition as well. I can’t think of another singer who is able to infuse their work with such passion, such intensity, such pain, creating an elegiac quality and a sweet romantic melancholy and leaving everyone else sounding tongue-tied and found wanting.

Often the music provides little more than a template for the vocals to hang on, hover around and soar above, ranging from subdued whispers to rising falsetto, but when the songs do take a more beat driven form, such as Always or 42^nd Street the results are sinuous, sharp and even serrated.

It must be obvious by now that I rate this e.p. and indeed the man that made it very highly, whether you are a fan of the aforementioned  Buckley, looking for a modern player charting the same still and deep waters or are just a fan of fantastically evocative music, Rust will tick all the boxes and even suggest a few not on the list.