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Non-Prog CD Reviews

Luke Leblanc Time on My Hands Review by Gary Hill I reviewed another set from this artist, but if you look under "Luke Leblanc" you will only find it as a "related" review. That's because that one was released under the moniker "Little Diamonds." This is the same artist, but now he's using his real name instead. That set was heavily based on roots music, and so is this one. There is a lot of country and folk here, but also some blues. All in all, this is great. There isn't a weak track here, and it flows well. If you dig authentic sounding roots music, give this a try. You will probably really enjoy it. This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2018 Volume 4. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2018.

Track by Track Review

Beautiful I dig the acoustic guitar that makes up the backdrop of this piece. There is an energy to the cut despite the mellow nature and stripped back arrangement. I love the flow of the vocals, too. This is a strong folk rock based number (with some hints of country music), and a great way to start things in style.

Time on My Hands There is a lot more country music in the mix here. A lot of that comes from the violin (or should I say "fiddle?") and other instrumentations added to the mix. In a lot of ways this isn't a huge change from the opener, but the arrangement has more layers built into it, and the tune has more energy.

Winter Rising Another mellow tune, there is a lot of country in the mix here. This is dramatic and classy. I really dig the violin solo section on this. It adds a lot of flavor to the piece.

Please Stay Now, this is a big change. Here we have an old school blues number that sounds so authentic that it's scary. The blues harp adds a lot, and the whole piece just oozes cool.

Highway's Gone The mix of country and folk on this cut is classy. The roots textures on this are so real and tasty.

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