IAN MOORE
Luminaria
Yep Roc
· Don’t drink and write.
Move over Ottmar, there’s a new guitar god on the block! Child-prodigy-turned-blues-rocker Ian Moore apprenticed under Joe Ely and, at the tender age (for a bluesman) of 36, he already has a respectable discography under his belt, this being his sixth outing. Haunting ballads and lonesome string serenades typify Moore’s work on Luminaria but strangely enough, he doesn’t sound unhappy. And this time he doesn’t limit his activities to sideways glances at pretty waitresses, either. Instead he spins an undeniably genuine tale wrapped in gentle twang-tinted strums and inspired virtuoso guitar-picking. But alas, Moore’s barstool prophesizing and blue-jean-ad good looks can’t save this wishy-washy assemblage of down-tempo mental postcards. As mysterious as the name implies, Luminaria starts out bluegrass, but soon evolves to sway, then turns to swing, which then becomes some sort of mutated American Graffiti sock-hop confection. After that… what else? More country. Taking his cues from such veterans as David Byrne, Moore uses his latest release as a vehicle for exploring the heart of an artist given over to yearning love and crusading anger. Emerging from the shelter of his former life, he views his past with malicious amusement, and his future with strained anticipation.
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