Artist: Luke Doucet & The White Falcon CD Review: BLOOD’S TOO RICH By: Dan Brisebois
The White Falcons are comprised of Rich Levesque and John Dinsmore on bass, Doucet’s wife Melissa McClelland on guitars (and an indie artist in her own right) and drummer Paul Brennan. From the opening “Long Haul Driver,” you get a glimpse of a look into a prolific balladeer, one of Canada’s unsung storytellers. Indeed, cuts like the title track, “Cleveland,” “Motorbike” and “First Day In The New Home Town” show well thought-out, provoking lyrics set to simple, but slickly produced melodies. But just when you’re ready to put a label on Luke Doucet, you hear “The Lovecats” possibly one of the quirkiest, and most clever tunes released in recent memory. Written by Robert Smith in ’83, it’s the only non-original tune on the record. But the bread and butter of BLOOD’S TOO RICH is its cross-over appeal, in the vein of Blue Rodeo. In fact, frontman Jim Cuddy himself cameos on the album, along with Rodeomates Glenn Milchem and Bazil Donovan. Doucet’s ties to Blue Rodeo continued, when his group did a tour in ’08 with them, and even ‘borrowed’ Milchem for the drumming duties. It’s not often a person joins their Dad’s blues band. But that’s exactly what Doucet did at 15, years before he was on the road with Sarah McLaughlin‘s touring band. His repetoire is just as deep as his roots. He joined the hippy acid-jazz bluegrass Acoustically Inclined after playing in a salsa group and Doucet’s influences can be traced to everyone from ZZ Top to The Violent Femmes, The Pixies to The Band. He even payed homage to the group on BLOOD’S TOO RICH with the song, “The Day Rick Danko Died.” But this isn’t a record to be pegged. The electric driven rhythms of “Take You Home,” “It’s Only Tuesday” and “Beacon On The South Paw,” the synthesizers behind “Comandante” and “Bombs Away” show the different sides of one of Canada’s most promising independent artists. There really isn’t a bad cut on the disc. Self-produced, Doucet’s taken his years experience on the independent scene and culminated it into an album true to himself and his music.  Concert reviewBonnyville, AB Jan 22, 2008 by Dan Brisebois Luke Doucet and the White Falcon made their first ever appearance in Alberta’s Lakeland, opening for the main course of Blue Rodeo. The capacity crowd was served a healthy portion of a solid hour of a country/rock blend, with hints of roots, rockabilly, folk, and even a few jazz and blues offerings sprinkled into the mix. The show’s ingredients weren’t the typical way to start a rock concert, but this was no ordinary experience. Doucet is a disciple of the offerings Blue Rodeo has served up in a career that’s spanned two dozen albums, DVD’s and solo projects. In fact, Doucet borrowed drummer Glenn Michem for his show, and group co-founder Jim Cuddy recently made a guest appearance on his latest album, BLOOD’S TOO RICH. During the headliners’ encore, they were all too happy to share the spotlight with the next generation of country/rockers, inviting Doucet and company on the stage for the entire set. Lke his idols, Doucet’s much too versatile to be pegged under a ‘label.’ His influences include everyone from The Band to The Violent Femmes, Rolling Stones to Stevie Ray Vaughn, and the band served up those samplings to the crowd on a silver platter, mixing in a few flavours from his earlier solo records and his days with his former band, Veal. |
Leaving the nest of his former group Veal, Luke Doucet has carefully taken his blues, country and rock roots and come out with one of 2007’s most soulful albums – BLOOD’S TOO RICH – his third solo album, a collection of 12 songs of passion and conviction.