Luke Rathborne is just 22 years old and already knows what it feels like to be tired after a long night of drinking and other regrettable affairs, knowing he’s gotta pick himself up to do it all over again the next night. Hailing from the deep woods of Brunswick, Maine, his voice occupies a wide range of sparse and haunting settings; from sad bastard bar ballads to whispy folk tunes, he succeeds in turning otherwise stubborn melancholy to the kind of comforting intimacy I used to go to Elliott Smith to find. His wispy tenor is so effortless, Rathborne has no difficulty complimenting a very wide pallette, which can sometimes make his thread a bit difficult to follow, but that’s part of the fun that comes with discovering a new artist. You can expect something for anyone needing a shoulder to cry on when his debut double-E.P. Dog Years comes out March 8 on Dilletante Records. He’ll also be leaving for a London tour on the 21st of this month, so now’s the time to see him in an intimate, local space. Luke Rathborne performs at The Living Room Feb 18 @ 7pm. – Mike Levine
Luke Rathborne: Dog Years