Luke Doucet CD Review
Luke Doucet
Broken (And Other Rogue States)
(Six Shooter)
Singer-songwriters usually need a good sales pitch, few come as well equipped as being the heartbroken ex-guitarist for Sarah McLachlan.
Granted, there’s no evidence Luke Doucet and McLachlan ever acknowledged, much less bumped uglies. Still, there hasn’t been a solid relationship burner of the folk-pop variety since Ryan Adams’ Heartbreaker, which makes *Broken* such a welcome addition. If Adams’ thesis is the standard, Doucet misses the grade because sonically he’s homeless. “Emily, Please” sounds like some terrible cross between Joe Henry’s “Stop” and Fastball’s “The Way.” His delivery on “Lucky Strikes” is far too bitter for the lyrics and the McCartney-esque melody and “Vladivostok” just plain feels awkward. Still, Doucet is an ace with the one-liners, filling his lyrics with the kind of daggers none of us has ever been brave (or eloquent) enough to utter (“You’re just one of many girls,” “You’ve gotta have a heart to have a broken one”). Ah, sweet bitterness. She must’ve taken the tunes with her.
— Steve Forstneger
Click here for a Real Media stream of “Broken One.”
