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Some records feel as good as that just-washed favorite t-shirt or pair of jeans,
and LUCE’s latest, Never Ending, has that feel. The San Francisco-based
band is back with songs that have front man Tom Luce’s trademark penchant for
melodic flair, warm vocal tones, and muscular grooves, but it’s all taken to a
new level. For the follow-up to 2002’s
self-titled debut, Luce once
again enlisted the help of co-producer and keyboardist Adam Rossi. Rounding out
LUCE is drummer Steve Bowman, formerly of Counting Crows, Kyle Wheeler on
trumpet, and Larry Riggs on bass.
Never Ending is a concept album of sorts, one that takes the listener
through the stages of a relationship from beginning to end. It kicks off with
“World of the Lonely,” a song about infatuation that sets the tone for the whole
record. The poppy yet ironic “Buy a Dog” and “Amsterdam” are sure-fire radio
hits, followed by the equally enduring "The Sweetest Smile" and "Fortunately,
I." The happiness continues with the breezy track, “Worth The Wait.” But the
upbeat title track shows the relationship hitting an unsuspecting quandary, and
the funk-infused “With A Kiss” and melancholy “Diamond Lights” signify a
break-up. The sultry “Maria” is basically square one, a new infatuation with its
own irony: a language barrier.
Never Ending displays Tom Luce’s keen sense of melody, and it’s not out
of the realm to draw comparison as a songwriter to Lennon and McCartney. The
self-titled debut spawned the single, “Good Day,” which was a motion picture
double-threat, landing in both “How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days” and in “13 Going
on 30.” Never Ending could be a movie soundtrack of its own—the songs are
new yet sound instantly familiar, and as a whole it radiates with heartfelt
storytelling and an endearing feel-good vibe.
~Mike Farley
mfarley@bullz-eye.com
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