Lucid: "Miles Deep"

Lucid has arrived with their debut album, "Miles Deep"

Story and photos by John Coleman

The top-selling album at Peacock Records in Plattsburgh isn't by an artist such as Justin Timberlake, Clay Aiken or Fergie, it is by Plattsburgh's native sons, Lucid, according to the band's percussionist, Lowell Wurster.

After spending three months recording at Charles Eller Studios, in Charlotte, Vermont, this past winter, Lucid has risen from the underground wielding their debut album, Miles Deep.

The album features 11 tracks that range in styles from jazz to reggae. However, no matter how you twist or turn it, it is hard to fit Lucid into any one genre of music. Wurster says he would describe Lucid's sound as "Jazz, punk, blues fusion."

"We never stick to a genre of music and say 'This is what we have to play'," Wurster said. "[Our sound] is a conglomerate of genres."

The members of the band are Kevin Sabourin on guitar and lead vocals, Nick Sauvie on bass, Jamie Armstrong on saxophone, Lowell Wurster on percussion and harmonica, Ryan Trumbill on drums and Andy Deller on keyboard. Sabourin, Sauvie, Armstrong and Wurster are all Plattsburgh High School graduates while Trumbull hails from Jay, New York, and Deller from Atlanta.

Armstrong's smooth, powerful sax solos, Trumbull's rhythmic drive on drums, Wurster's colorful percussion, and Deller's funky strides on keys serve as a perfect platform for Sabourin's innovative guitar playing, which varies from song to song. He flirts with Neil Young-like chord progressions in "Countryesque," Jimi Hendrix-like delayed fills in "Golden Crested Waves," and classical guitar style progressions in "Yanomamo Lullaby." Whatever style he plays, the band conforms well and the songs remain balanced.

Often on Miles Deep, Lucid breaks free of common song structure into extensive interlude's, or "jams," which are evident in such songs as "Styles of the Smooth" and "Golden Crested Waves."

Jamming involves syncopation and improvisation in which band members partake in a type of musical conversation where one member will present a musical phrase and another member will respond with a phrase of his or her own.

This type of musical freedom was harnessed and popularized by jazz in the 20s and 30s. While bands such as the Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers Band and Phish mastered this type of experimentation and made it mainstream, there is always the risk of losing impatient listeners that seek short, catchy lines and sing-a-long's in a day when pop rules.

These listeners wouldn't make it through the the 9-minute instrumental, "Jamun B," which is inventive but daring.

However, in defense of these songs, what they lack in words they make up for in creativity, energy and each musicians knowledge of his respective instrument.

"When we play live the songs totally change"

There is a stark contrast between these "airy" songs and "Backwoods," which begins with a tight John Popper-esque harmonica riff into a catchy and energetic groove very reminiscent of Blues Traveler.

Many of the tracks on the album could translate easily from the studio to the stage. According to Wurster, it's during live performances when Lucid reveals its true ability as a band.

"We had to shorten all of our songs for the album. When we play live, the songs totally change," Wurster said.

Lucid has managed to produce a solid album with its first effort. Their sound fits in well with the genuinely "Northeast" sound heard at New York's summer festivals and around the Burlington scene, but it is unique enough to differentiate them from other "jam bands." Songwriting seems to be Lucid's only flaw.

Lucid should treat this album as a test for echoes and focus their energy around a style that suits each member of the band.

Lucid often plays the Plattsburgh bar scene at Monopole's and the Adirondack Soup Company for acoustic shows. They have also played at Nectar's in Burlington and, according to Wurster, hope to play festivals this summer. Miles Deep album will soon be available on their website and at Peacock Records in Plattsburgh.

Do you think Lucid has what it takes to get signed by a major label?

Lucid
Miles Deep
Independent Label
Released 2005