"What We Whisper"

2006 Antebellum Records
Score: 7.5 (of 10) 

What We Whisper is the second album by Jeffrey Luck Lucas, following last year’s Hell Then Devine.  Lucas is a former member of the 1980's band The Morlocks, who released material on Epitaph, Voxx, Midnight.  Lucas is also a classically trained cellist who has appeared on records by Neurosis, Pat Ryan, High Water Rising, Steve Von Till, Chuck Prophet, Barbara Manning, and others. 

The music on What We Whisper is deceptively hard to describe.  Though they are rooted around “normal” instruments like guitar, bass and drums, the addition of various keys and cello add an atmospheric sound to the melodic music.  What We Whisper manages to defy categorization without sounding odd.  Though well played the songs are not terribly catchy, and tend to drag on a bit. 

Lucas’ voice is deep and slightly raspy, kind of Tom Waits-light, but works well with the light music.  On tracks like “The Pills” where he sings alongside Wendy Allen he sounds particularly good.  Lyrically the songs are pretty simple and straightforward, and surprisingly catchy considering the dark themes. 

Overall:  What What We Whisper lacks in catchiness it makes up for in originality.