Album Review: Old Man Luedecke’s Tender is the Night

Torontonian-turned-East-Coaster Old Man Luedecke officially released his latest record, Tender is the Night, on Tuesday night at The Dakota Tavern, and after we got our first listen, it’s clear the banjo-pluckin’, foot-stompin’, wayfaring troubadour has grown up and nestled in his country-tinged, bubbly and soul-soothing niche. 

Whereas Mumford & Sons have poisoned the mainstream with their cookie-cutter banjo riffs, OML gives the old-timey instrument the tender love and care it deserves, spotlighting its twangy and plunky clarity. But don’t let his reserved humility fool you — his blazing finger-plucking combined with the infectious audacity of his foot-thumping make for music that is both frenzied and contemplative.

His latest effort is no different, and it’s obvious that Chris “Old Man” Luedecke has done some major rumination — he’s a new dad who was recently awarded two Junos. While previous albums may have been the lament of a rambling man, Tender is the Night is a quiet reflection of halcyon rural life (or as a Post City editor once put it: “sounds like he’s all emotional and shit.”)

Recorded in Nashville with the help of Tim O’Brien, Luedecke has crossed from roots and folk brands into full-fledged country bluegrass balladry. Sideman Hunt amps up the instrumentation, namely on strings, but it’s clear these songs were written for an Old Man and his banjo.

Take the bluegrass ditty “Song for Ian Tyson,” which pays tribute to the cowboy crooner in a manner befitting a travelling caravan in the wild west. And at the risk of pulling a Ben Kaplan, if ever there was a man who could turn me over to the dark side that is country music, it’s Old Man Lue. 

There are also elements of religion, but not in the proselytizing sense. Yes, the record is wrought with biblical references in tracks such as “Kingdom Come,” “Jonah & the Whale” and even finishes up with “Long Suffering Jesus.” But OML’s fabled lyrics are laced with wit and humour, and well-placed tracks throughout the record balance out his soul-wrenching pensiveness. For instance, “A&W Song” is a jaunty number about an inebriated dude with a bad case of the post-bar munchies who finds himself in a drive-thru, imploring the cab driver for a Teen Burger and sack of fries (hey, we can relate).

That said, Old Man Lue leaves us wanting. Where is his characteristic yodeling? Sure, “Little Stream of Whiskey” comes close, with unabashed falsetto — but even a hint of a quavering yodel would have brought the pedigreed singer-songwriter full circle. 

Tender is the Night is a cohesive compilation of an old-world musician that probably would have fared better in the days of Dock Boggs or Earl Scruggs. However, these 13 tracks serve as a segue, and eases ears that may be accustomed to mainstream bluegrass (ahem, Mumford & Sons) into a sound that banjo purists would praise.

Old Man Luedecke will be playing with Grey Kingdom at the Glenn Gould Studio on Nov. 22.

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