Record Label: Liberty & Lament
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Lucero’s frontman and songwriter hasn’t released a solo album since 2009’s “The Last Pale Light in the West,” the unofficial soundtrack to a never-made film version of Cormac McCarthy’s epic novel “Blood Meridian.”

Now Nichols is back, with an introspective, countryfied disc for your listening pleasure. The title track opens up the proceedings, with Nichols’s typically scratchy vocals spinning a yarn about a lingering love told in minor key—and with some killer steel pedal thrown in for good measure. “The Darkness Sings” follows in a similar vein, and the aptly titled “A Bleak Overture,” with no words at all, features a melancholic fiddle; this track is reminiscent of the instrumentals on “Last Pale Light.” “From a Western or a War Movie” packages up the pain and paranoia of both of those film genres into one rather mysterious song.

The mood on the album is rather consistently mournful, but stick with Nichols throughout; you’ll thank yourself. “Fading Back Into the Night” is a standout track, with the troubadour plucking his ax while crooning: “You double down on a long shot bet / Win or lose we both know this ain’t over yet. … Gone, but you’re not really gone.” Pay attention to the mysterious, mythically oriented “She’s Starlight in the River.” The more country-oriented “The Prayer” takes Nichols back to his Memphis roots and is of a piece with some earlier Lucero tunes. The same is true of the following track, “The Swamper’s Lament.” Parting shot “The Devil Takes His Leave” is a suitable sendoff from our trip into Nichols’s mountain.

Nichols and Lucero continue to shine and find a dedicated audience, and this mission was definitely helped along thanks to Nichols’s brother Jeff, who included Ben’s compositions in the 2023 film “The Bikeriders.” As we anxiously await another full Lucero album, spend some quality time with Ben Nichols hiking up that proverbial mountain.

Notable Tracks: In the Heart of the Mountain, From a Western or a War Movie, Fading Back Into the Night, The Prayer, The Devil Takes His Leave
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