Review by Shannon Shumaker
To be able to tell a story simply with your lyrics is hard enough, but to be able to tell a story with the tone of your voice and your music as well is a feat that many musicians strive to achieve. Lucette, however, manages to do all three with Black Is the Color, and she makes it seem easy.
Right off the bat, the overall tone of the opening track, “Bobby Reid,” is dark and mellow, but then Lucette’s gorgeous songbird voice comes in and contrasts with the eerie tones of the track perfectly. Her voice is sweet and melodic as it floats through the song, but with an underlying darkness that really rounds out her sound and makes the opening track amazing. “Bobby Reid” easily catches the listener’s attention and by the time it transitions into the title track, I’m totally captivated. And if you thought “Bobby Reid” was strong, just wait until you hear, “Black Is the Color.” The song is simple – the drumbeat and the guitar stay pretty much the same throughout the entire track, but it isn’t boring by any means. It’s Lucette’s amazing vocal work that keeps the song moving forward and keeps the eerie tone that was set it “Bobby Reid.” The way that “Black Is the Color” ends is smart, too – it leaves you hanging, waiting for more before cutting you off and going into “Able May.”
The great thing about this album, though, is it doesn’t stay on that same dark level that the first few songs are on. “Poor Sweet Me,” for instance, is a total folk song. The harmonies in this track are beautiful and bright, and definitely lighten the mood of the album a little, proving that there is definitely more than one side to Lucette. The country lullaby track, “Dream With Me Dream,” is absolutely another testament to her versatility as well. Black Is the Color is not only multi-dimensional, though – it’s also very unique. Some of the songwriting choices that have been made really set the album apart. For instance, the way that Lucette chooses to end certain songs, such as “Black Is the Color” and “River Rising,” wouldn’t necessarily be considered conventional. Both of these songs leave you hanging, like taking a breath without exhaling, but it totally works – it just leaves you wanting even more.
Black Is the Color begins on a very dark and eerie note, but throughout the album, the sound grows and blooms into something bright and folky. Lucette’s songwriting abilities are definitely showcased in this release – from her darker, more serious tracks (like “Muddy Water”) to happy folky melodies (“Fields Of Plenty”) to country ballads like the ending track, “Utah.” Lucette’s voice and poetic lyrics shine on every single track, and by the end of Black Is the Color, I feel as if I’ve been on a journey.
Rating: 5/5
Listen to “Black Is The Color,” “Fields Of Plenty” & “Muddy Water”