It's always nice to write about a homeboy. Ted Lukas hails from Tampa, Florida, and is local power pop/alt-country royalty thanks to a resume that includes work in the great 90s band Barely Pink and more recently, the fine alt-country band Hangtown (whose most recent EP is an excellent listen, by the way). Now Lukas is out with his second solo disc, Misled, and it bridges the gap between his two chosen genres with great skill.
"OK with Everything" lets you know that everything will be OK on this disc, as Lukas fires up a rocker that's in the Matthew Sweet meets Steve Earle department; in fact, Lukas' vocals sounds like a cross between Earle and Terry Anderson (he of the Yayhoos and the Olympic Ass-Kickin' Team). The standout track is "Hearts Like Mine", a midtempo rocker with an easy melody and a hint of jangle. Elsewhere, "I Can't Believe" boasts a fresh, poppy chorus; the title track is an excellent roots rocker; and "Static Reaction" closes the disc in fine Pettyesque fashion. No hometown boost needed here - I'd recommend this disc even if Lukas were from Timbuktu or Togo instead of Tampa.
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