New music spotlight: Luke Winslow King

Published on: October 11th, 2016

Luke Winslow King at WWOZ [Photo by Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee]

Luke Winslow King at WWOZ [Photo by Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee]
Luke Winslow King at WWOZ [Photo by Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee]

The latest from New Orleans-based Luke Winslow King, I'm Glad Trouble Don't Last Always, tells the tale of a marriage gone south and the subsequent effects felt by Winslow-King. Much of it was written and recorded while the band was on tour in Italy in 2015, reflecting a new direction after a rough couple of years for the lead singer/songwriter that found him in solitary confinement in rural Michigan for a low-level marijuana charge followed by a surprising divorce.

The 9-track album opens with the gospel-inspired 'On My Way' before moving into the title track, 'I'm Glad Trouble Don't Last Always,' a dark rocker Winslow-King also performed at WWOZ last March (see video below). 'Change Your Mind' belies the heartache that comes with the breakup of a longtime relationship and the responsive 'Esther Please' is a lyrical playground as Winslow-King sings, "when the world turns to trouble/evil ain't far behind." 'Heartsick Blues' showcases the wonderful fiddling skills of [WHO IS PLAYING FIDDLE] while 'Watch Me Go' highlights a beautiful sense of empowerment amidst heartache. I'm Glad ends on an appropriately hopeful note with 'No More Crying Today.'

For a record reflecting on a breakup, I'm Glad Trouble Don't Last Always is remarkably upbeat. As he told OffBeat in August, "I sat myself down and thought about it: 'You’re going to make a breakup album, what are you going to do?' And I didn’t want to start moaning about the bad things that happened, that’s not very constructive."

Winslow-King showcases impressive range within the Americana genre, moving adeptly through gospel, blues, rock'n'roll, soul, and country. He's backed by a strong and flexible band consisting of Roberto Luti, an incredibly talented Italian guitarist who could also be found on Royal Street for some time in the early to mid-2000s; Brennan Andes, a Michigan-based bassist with a lengthy jazz and jam band background; drummer Benji Bohannon; and keyboardist Mike Lynch.

I'm Glad Trouble Don't Last Always is available on mp3, CD, and vinyl directly from Bloodshot Records and from the Louisiana Music Factory, iTunes, and Amazon.

http://www.lukewinslowking.com

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