Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real

Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real

fantasy

Chip off the old block. The elephant in the room: yes, Lukas does sound uncannily like a young version of his old man Willie, and he has friends in high places, having backed Neil Young and grown up around country royalty. But this isn’t about nepotism, it’s grand music in the genes.

From the opening Set Me

Down Like A Cloud, with vivid turns of tone and crisp phrasing blown along by Lucius’ singers Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, you’re cast into a selection of high-class material.

While it wouldn’t be true to say that Promise Of The Real don’t owe nobody nuthin’ – Die Alone is southern groove in the JJ Cale style, and Just Outside Of Austin is a delicious rewrite of MOR classic Gentle On My Mind – these kids have balls.

Lady Gaga adds majestic soul diva clout to Find Yourself, Nelson proves to be a sterling guitarist and the whole thing is hellacious, meaning good.

max Bell