L.E. Ruben - King For A While CD Review

Jazzy country done amazingly well
If you like your country raw and traditional sounding then look no further than the new album by L.E. Ruben. KING FOR A WHILE features a stunning collection of country/folk songs brought to life by a whole range of musical instruments including an upright bass, trumpet, banjo and mandolin. The album was mastered, mixed and engineered by Phil Joly and produced by Lindsay Rubin, Dave McNamara, and Phil Joly. Gentle vocals are the order of the day on this rather lovely album full of magical songs. The title track is also the opening song. King For A While is a dreamy country/folk song. L.E. Ruben’s vocals are soft and haunting. Musically I guess you could compare L.E. Ruben to the Be Good Tanyas. Best I Can is an old fashioned country song with a touch of jazz in the vocal style and instrumentation. The trumpet gives this gentle song an added dimension. Surrounded is a slow country/folk song. Take This Ride is another country song infused with a touch of jazz. Perhaps more modern that some of the other songs on this album Take This Ride is a strong song and perhaps the stand out song from the album. Capture This sees the music slip back into a more traditional sound and style. How Do I Hold is a lovely traditional sounding song brought to life by some wonderful instrumentation. Only Love is a jazzy country song. The final song Of September is another lovely song that blends country with a touch of jazz. Fans of Madeleine Peyroux would not be disappointed with this album as there are a lot of musical and vocal similarities.