Larry Ludwick - Noted Rain

Hear The Track Here

Although Larry Ludwick has only been on Soundclick for just over a year, it's amazing the impact he has made both in the Soundclick forums and in his own musical endeavours - as his ratings will testify. Doing very nicely, thank you. As indeed he should because when this musician was introduced to me with Nod's Ascent To Dave (July 2008) and Weary Waltz For Rueben (August 2008) I automatically jumped to the assumption he was a smooth operator, music so slick you could skate on it. Since then he has consistently demolished every single one those assumptions with a range of musical styles that could bewilder a wildebeest, let alone us poor schmucks racing to catch up.

Gazelle-like is not a word I'd apply to this audience...

This time we find our hero Larry tall in the saddle romping throughout the land of Yeeehaaawww. If I didn't know Larry better, I'd be off and running too but I know that even in Alternative Country, this is a musician with safe hands. Personally I have a soft spot for all things country (except the glitz of Nashville) and in particular Americana which this track rightly belongs to. At heart, I think Larry would have to admit that its songs that float his boats, as much as his instrumental work is right up there. You can tell by the amount of work and love he pours into them, the emotion he drags out of them.

One of my biggest gripes against American songwriters these days is the sheer amount of schmaltz that hangs around the genre like a ghost at a wake. As personal as Larry's songs can be, he never dips into the maudlin, he never takes the easy way out. All good stuff as far as I am concerned, in other hands this would have me running for them thar hills (where there is undoubtedly gold). Noted Rain is an excellently produced, well performed classic country rock ballad and you KNOW how much I hate the B word. Unless its in the hands of the old whiner himself, Neil Young and funnily enough Larry even sounds like him.

Excellent Country(ish) song. Highly Recommended.