With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

It has been a long wait but finally we have a new album from the mighty Boss Caine. The album is called  ‘Loved By Trouble, Troubled By Love’, and oh boy has Boss Caine main man Dan Lucas shifted up the gears on this release. He has never released a dud album and this one takes the quality to a mountainous peak. The songwriting here is among the best you will find in the current generation of British musicians. If the previous albums built the foundations of the distinct and wonderful Boss Caine sound this album completes and finely decorates the first couple of floors.

The lyrics here are beyond just sharp and clever they are stories woven into song. “Champagne” and “Evidence” open the record and draw you deep into Boss Caine World where you will neither want or need to leave before the album finishes. For me”Champagne” evokes the very best of Dr John’s finest deep south cuts. If you want an inspiring and heart-felt love song then look no further than “Star Crossed Lovers”. It totally encapsulates what it feels like to have that special someone in your life. Of all the albums I have reviewed over the years this is the first that my wife has really loved from the first play. While the style here has some of the best ingredients of alt.country, Americana and electric folk it is still a very British sound. This is most notable on the title track “Loved By Trouble, Troubled By Love” where Lucas shares vocals with Edwina Hayes.

The words on “Where Good Things Go To Die” seem to be a reflection on life and experience and maybe how you have found your way in your life. It certainly stirred up some sadly nostalgic feelings of my youth. If choosing my favourite track from the whole album was a life or death issue then I would definitely opt for “Lonesome Crow” which builds up slowly, adding layers of instrumentation and orchestration on its journey to a sanguine and deeply hopeful crescendo-like close. At times Dan Lucas’ bass-like gravelly vocals bring memories of Johnny Cash and on “Better Ways To Get Free” maybe even Tom Waits. In fact I can imagine an on-form Rod Stewart recording a brilliant version of this song. All the songs in this collection were written by Daniel Lucas apart from the jaunty and happy “Bright Young Star” which was written especially for Boss Caine by the Temperance Movement‘s Phil Campbell. Melancholy album closer “Smoking In My Backyard” is perhaps one of the finest songs ever written about smoking. I have never smoked, but I can picture myself smoking a fat one while chilling to this!

After a couple of listens this feels like a greatest hits package that is made up of entirely new songs. The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Isaac McInnis at his Crooked Room Studio just outside of York. The record was produced by Isaac McInnis, Bradley Blackwell, and Daniel Lucas. It is already available on-line and the physical copies will be available very soon. Click here to get your hands on a copy, I have ordered mine! So tell me; Do you like Americana? Do you like Dr John? Do you like great British music? You do? In that case you will bloody love the new Boss Caine album!