Joshua Lukas - Beautiful Promises

Joshua Lukas

Beautiful Promises ​
self-released; 2016

3.9 out of 5

By Ted Rogen
​

Joshua Lukas hasn’t been writing music for very long but is off to a great start with his three-song EP entitled Beautiful Promises. The songs on Beautiful Promises are extremely well produced and well performed. 

Apparently he wrote the title track in about ten minutes. The song just came to him. It’s actually not that surprising. I have been writing songs for about twenty years and sometimes songs just come out of nowhere. The title track is a mix of triumph, nostalgia and hope. It starts with guitar, vocals and atmosphere.

​The backing band comes and the song starts to ascend. I especially enjoyed the juxtaposition between the orchestral strings and the light-hearted vibe. Subtle vocal harmonies make a big difference. Great opener. Some of the lyrics are interpretative, poignant and powerful. He sings, “As you sit there hands in your face / Thinking of what could have been / Price you deserved he would not pay /  Wanted a free ride from you.”

Up next is the more upbeat, loose and festive “Just Because.” I thought the levity was appropriate considering how emotionally strong the first song was. The song is also celebratory, not too far off from Mumford and Sons. He sings, ”It's not too late to live again / That’s what the old man says / Sun goes down another day / Close your eyes my friend.”

He ends with “Father Gone” which is a builder that starts subtle and ends huge. This may  be the highlight but it's certainly arguable. I loved the banjo on this song and vocal melody. His accent works really well on this song. Something about it feels aesthetically pleasing. The lyrics are downright sad when he sings, “You Father he is gone” but the music feels like a declaration of acceptance. It’s pretty impactful.

This EP goes by quickly but I’m really impressed by what I heard. Lukas has some serious talent as a songwriter and I hope to hear more soon.

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