CD Review

Over the last few years we’ve seen a variety of genre mashing that’s provided some truly unique and original sounding music. Thus is the case with the band louque (pronounced ‘luke’). Frontman Dustan Louque grew up in Louisiana listening to everything from Fats Domino to Ice T to Depeche Mode, and has spent the last few years living in the hipster mecca of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This combination helped in cultivating his signature sound - a combination of New Orleans funk (think The Meters meets Dr. John), soul, folk, trip-hop and dancehall reggae, which he’s dubbed ‘faya’.

This wide range of influences can be heard throughout louque’s debut album So Long(initially released in 2002 and has now been re-released on O.A.R.’s Everfine/Lava imprint). The combination of styles sounds like an ambitious venture that could have yielded a hodgepodge sounding album at best. louque though is actually able to pull it off and does so quite well with a gentle and smooth tone felt throughout the album’s nine tracks, which includes a cover of Mazzy Star’s "Cry, Cry." Each song seems to flow effortlessly from one track to the next, with the gentle piano intro of "Whoa Now" sitting side by side with drum and bass rhythms of "Art" and vocal samples and electronic drum beat of "Lifeline." Throw in his Cajun meets urban-folk vocals and you’ve got something that makes So Long the perfect late night into early morning soundtrack.