Luke Arvid - Day of the Bui1der

Luke Arvid

Day of the Bui1der
On Mars Imaging & Sound; 2015

3.7 out of 5

By Stephen Jordan

Luke Arvid's Day of the Bui1der just so happens to be one of the anticipated album releases coming out of Madison, Wisconsin's music scene this year. Encompassing a sound of indie-folk, with a bit of country twang thrown in and fused with a roots-rock sensibility, Day of the Bui1der certainly stands out with what it has accomplished.

The project gently pulls you in with its sweet yet melancholy "100 Miles An Hour" and completely solidifies its musical sound and establishes a firm atmosphere - delicately melodic and hauntingly poetic. Reverb laced orchestral strings combine with acoustic guitars that bring to mind a band like Wilco.

The opener is followed by an equally satisfying six minutes of gorgeous instrumentation in "Like I'm Swimming" with lyrics that still keep my mind working as to what the song means. The song never leaves the energy  or melancholy it introduces. "Like I'm Swimming" creates a sense of contemplation and reflection yet doesn't feel forced. 

"Pennies" is where we get a bit more of that rock sound. We get a pretty majestic guitar solo after both verses, and then we're brought back down to a mellow, acoustic vibe with the echo-y "San Antone (blueprint)." My favorite of these kinds of tracks has to be "Ever So Slightly;" it just has a great melody both with the vocals and instrumentation. It's a simple acoustic song stripped to just the bare essentials but that is part of its appeal, at least for me.

What Day of the Bui1der does well is be consistent throughout, with "Lucky Coin" he brings some of the country-rock energy back in, and the final track "Footsteps Show" is a fitting ending. It almost has a romantic feel to it. It reminded me of Big Star from the '70s. Day of The Bui1der contains very consummate musicianship and is beautiful project that is crafted with care and love.

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