Band name changes are usually a bad sign because they mean one of two things: 1) the band has lost an integral member and will have to go on under a new, lamer guise (Audioslave), or 2) the band was never well known enough for any name change at anytime to matter (remember Mookie Blaylock? No, but you do recall Pearl Jam). Luckily, for local band Nick Luca Trio the change is merely a trimming of excess fat.
The band is now Luca and along with a tighter name, the band's sound has melded into something equally economical and pleasing. Lead by Nick Luca, an engineer at local studio Wavelab, Luca are the logical grandchildren of local bands made good like Giant Sand and Calexico. Logical because Nick has worked on both bands' albums, along with countless other equally notable local and national acts.
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On their third album, You Win Again, Luca bring along all of Nick's engineering skills as well as his talents as a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Though occasionally uneven, the overall result is an album of tightly packed songs with an enjoyable blend of rock, country, jazz, pop, folk and local Southwestern flavor.
Although the album starts with the meandering acoustic-exercise of "Crumbling Inside," listeners will note that second track "Summer Rain" is really where things begin. The track rolls through a back-porch, bluesy guitar riff and organ hum that harkens back to vintage Neil Young (we're talking On the Beach-era people!). The chorus continues the Shakey-esque sounds as a xylophone taps in the background while some soulful backing vocals accompany Nick's mournful lyrics: "It's up to you/ If you're down on me/ Summer Rain/ Set us free."
Other highlights include the stark dirge "Don't Run," which finds Nick channeling the hushed and malicious vocal stylings of Tom Waits without intentionally aiming to duplicate Waits' whiskey-soaked gruffness and, like most who try, falling flat. Elsewhere, rockers like "Spin Back the Planet" show off the band's cohesiveness. The interplay between Jim Kober's drumming and Nick's keyboard playing is perfectly balanced by Chris Giambelluca's glue-tight bass thumps as the song circles and soaks in a wash of distortion.
However, You Win Again is by no means a flawless album, in particular lyrically. While Nick can certainly write a crafty or aching tune, he can equally write some rather benign and even cheesy ones. Take "Superstar," a song that's musically entertaining with its acoustic strums and electronic squeals. However, it suffers severely from lyrics that are a little too pedestrian as Nick sings: "Superstar is what you are/ Superstar, that's what you are to me/ Superstar, going far/ Superstar, that's what you are to me."
Despite its flaws, You Win Again remains a nuanced and pleasing album that shows most of the signs of a seasoned band with a knowledgeable musical vocabulary. New name or not, Luca is a local crowd pleaser fronted by one of Tucson's most versatile frontmen. Be sure to check Luca's You Win Again CD release party on Friday, August 19th at Club Congress 311 E. Congress St. 520-622-8848. The 21+ event starts at 9 pm and is $4.