LUKAS FERDINAND – Back to Before

A single genre can not define every artist. And Lukas Ferdinand doesn’t sit easily with any singular label. As an indie artist, his music draws influences from pop, rock, and blues. The soulful influences here are subtle and resides in the warm keys and his overall appealing sound.

As a singer-songwriter, Lukas Ferdinand reminds me of fellow Swede Niklas Ljungfelt with an immediate pleasant pop sensibility. Lukas has a distinct vocal tone which colours the sound and defines it as his own. His desire for real instrumentation underlines the quartet of singles, fulfilling the depth of listening interest.

The mid-tempo single Waiting For my Tears, fused in ’60s rock and pop inspirations, opens the EP. The hook is catchy with a scintillating guitar solo and organ keys that almost steal the show. The most ‘soulful’ of the quartet is the single – Can’t Be The One. The song builds admirably, with sweet harmonies, a wonderfully infectious chorus and energetic guitar chords.

When he’s up-tempo its fun, and when he takes it down its heartfelt. Lukas delivers the beautifully written single Sleep Under Her Eyes – Live with enough emotive sentiment to paint pictures in the mind. It’s the only song to be recored live yet the entire EP captures the dynamics of a one-take recording, and the mix enables you to feel within the studio presence. The EP rounds off with Back to Before which evokes Coldplay’s Clocks and is similarly pop-oriented in structure.

There is enough heart and musicality to desire seeing him perform live however I’m unsure if this CD/vinyl would accompany me home at the end of the night. However, I’d be one of the few to leave empty-handed. After all, it’s all about reaching the right audience, and I hope Lukas Ferdinand reaches his.