Album Review: Luke Winslow-King 'I'm Glad Trouble Don't Last Always'

-Tara

New Orleans-based artist Luke Winslow-King combines blues, folk, traditional jazz, and roots rock on his latest, I’m Glad Trouble Don’t Last Always, which was released September 30th via Bloodshot Records. On the nine-song project Winslow-King mines the complex emotions of his divorce for an album that realizes the real and raw emotions of heartbreak, frustration, loss…and eventual healing.

Beginning with slide guitar (courtesy of Roberto Luti who can be heard throughout the project) in the bluesy-gospel opener "On My Way," Winslow King’s smooth, emotive vocals put forth a sort of mission statement that involves moving forward, unhindered;  leaving the broken behind. He then returns to the past on the simmering "I'm Glad Trouble Don't Last Always” and “Change Your Mind” whose hook-laden dose of folk-pop happiness juxtaposes the solemn questioning of the lyrics. The blues merge with Appalachia on the doleful "Heartsick Blues" and yet, even with him clearly broken, he (hopeful or in denial) issues a plea in the sensual "Esther Please” a theme that continues, and ultimately ends, in "Watch Me Go” when he realizes he must go on without her. Grieving a divorce also includes anger and depression, which emerge in the lively "Act Like You Love Me" and the swampy, gritty "Louisiana Blues" respectively, before circling back to where we began with "No More Crying Today" which looks forward with strength and acceptance; realizing that indeed, trouble may exist for a time, but it doesn’t always (thankfully) last.

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