The fact that the cover of this CD is by far the most interesting part of it is a shame. But at least it didn't make me laugh as much as the claims that this album sees Old Man Luedecke put his neck on the line, as it's hard to see how anyone could think an album of such polite bluegrass and country could be conceived as being outre on any level. Oh, and since when is it risque to get government funding to make an album? Yes, 'Tender Is The Night' is partly funded by the Canadian Government's Canada Music Fund.
Yes, he has just been nominated for his third Juno award in Canada and the album is produced by Grammy award winner Tim O'Brien but what that adds up to is an album that is safe to the point of bland wallpaper and while obviously well played that doesn't mean it's interesting.
The opening Kingdom Come sounds pitched at the Hillsong Community and is a pretty decent bluegrass hymnal. The church-y feel continues as he sort of re-writes Jonah & The Whale over a fairly bland bluegrass backing.
Tender is The Night as a title track almost seems like it's going to be a Blur cover which would have been better than this forgettable song. The best lyrics on the album, though, are on the next track, Broken Heart Buddy, which opens with the line "Your love is like a shopping mall" and gets more twisted from there. It's about the only tune on the album I'd want to hear regularly.
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From thereon in, it's all downhill with the very slow Little Stream Of Whiskey that feels more like a little stream of something else dripping down your legs with its odd high vocals trying to conjure up a bit of a Jimmie Rodgers feel and failing.
Nothing much else on the album makes much of an impression and by the time the album closes with Long Suffering Jesus I felt more like a long suffering listener waiting for something interesting to happen.
Old Man Luedecke will be touring the UK in May for anyone who wants to see if he's more interesting live than on CD.
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