Lud

This four-piece American band has put together an album that demands attention. The songwriting is first rate, guiding the listener from an exotic North African locale in the eerie “Song of the Ambulance Driver,” to the suburban mundane of “Work in a Restaurant” with the outmost of ease and certainty. The lead singer/guitarist Byron Settle’s words are literate, exciting and at times even poignant. But this is not a one-man show; the whole band chimes in adding sweet harmonies and passionate playing to complete the package. The sound is reminiscent of Neil Young, concentrating mostly on mid-tempo jams with searing blues guitar and snaky bass lines to compliment the groove. The album is spiked with a few inventive instrumentals and some guest vocals from band friend Sara Bell, that keep it interesting until the last note clearly rings out. These guys are on to something good and their quirky, Epiflot hovers far above the average fare.