Doug Keith - The Lucky Ones

Filled with rich melodies, deep harmonies, thought provoking lyrics, and the unique, soft, baritone voice of Doug Keith, The Lucky Ones is the nicest surprise to come out on CD in 2010 thus far. Without question, The Lucky Ones is one of the best albums I have listened to this year.
The Lucky Ones opens with the deeply moving We Left Everything. This is a terrific lead track that tells the story of a confused protagonist in a quarter-life crisis of uncertainty. The booze and the pills and the slacker attitude have caught up and now there’s concern over what to do next. Anchored with a catchy 4-beat riff and containing nothing but Keith’s vocals and acoustic guitar, We Left Everything is an excellent introduction to the extremely talented Doug Keith.

Things crank up for the 3rd track, the heavy rocking Maria del Bosco. This is the hardest song on the disc and one of the few that contain an electric guitar. It’s hard to know exactly what this song is about. Not being well versed in the artistic indie films, I had to research the term. However, this speaks to the song’s brilliance because it shows how riveting the lyrics are. While Maria del Bosco may refer to the 2009 movie of the same name, it’s more likely that it is a reference to the 2002 off-off Broadway show. The subtitle was Sex Opera and Racing Cars. In the song, Keith sings “…the racing cars…” He also sings, “I saw you in Maria del Bosco, I think you were Maria del Bosco.” Regardless of what the song is in reference to, the lyrics make the listener think, always a sign of a brilliant song.

Lyrical content is one of the strongest assets on The Lucky Ones. There is no lyrical filler. There are no repeated phrases for the sake of closing out the song. Every verse is well thought out, carefully considered, and given final scrutiny before being included. The lyrics in this album are intense.

The acoustical guitar picking returns on one of the disc’s strongest tracks, The Echo Will Fade. This song is modern folk at its finest with content that is so well constructed it creates a perfect blend of music, voice, and words. The Echo Will Fade shows that Keith, as a performer, is beyond brilliant. At times, he is pure genius.

Female guest vocals by Courtney Kaiser and violin interludes by Margaret White help to round out the record, creating a deeper palate of sound for ear consumption. At the center of it all though lies Doug Keith. His voice is the perfect fit for his guitar and lyrics. His talent as a musician and entertainer is matchless. If Doug Keith continues to make albums like The Lucky Ones, he is going to have an exceptional future in the world of music.

Highlighted by deep lyrics and smooth vocals, The Lucky Ones is definitely a front runner for 2010 album of the year. I rarely shout that you must own an album, but if you purchase only one record this year, it has to be The Lucky Ones.

The Lucky Ones will be available on Tuesday, March 30th. Visit http://www.dougkeith.com/ for more information.

Ryo’s Rating: 9 (out of 10)

Track Listing
We Left Everything
The Lucky Ones
Maria del Bosco
The Lowest Low
The Echo Will Fade
Don’t Let Your Darkness Overtake You
Skip James Radio
On the Kid & the Days
Arms Heavy
Come Back Become
Just the Coming Home