5) Ethan Luck – Let It Burn

From the punk-ska of The Dingees in the 90s, to stints in Relient K, Demon Hunter, and The O.C. Supertones….Ethan Luck has done it all. Though numerous solo EPs have been released, this year’s Let It Burn is his first full length. Reggae / dub has never been my go-to, but if there’s a record that made me a believer, it’s this one. The record is single after single after single, from the call-and-response of the effortless Helpless, to the funky wahhhhhhs of Don’t Let Me Go, it’s easily his most musically cohesive and lyrically mature release to date.  He may be 40 years old now – far away from the punk of his early Tooth And Nail days. But the restraint he shows on Let It Burn from turning everything up to eleven is completely the right decision. Hitting your prime at 25 seems like an early burnout, and I’m forever thankful he didn’t do this. This record is a perfect culmination of his creative output so far.

Listen To: Can’t Go At It Alone

Rebel Waltz Recordings, October 30th, 2018