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When I think of love, my hands being on fire is not one of the first feelings that come to mind. After listening to My Hands are on Fire and other Love Songs by Old Man Luedecke, I may have changed my mind.

After winning a Juno Award for Best Roots Album of 2009 for Proof of Love, Canada’s own Chris Luedecke brings us a delightful follow-up release. When you usually think of folk music full of banjo and fiddle you usually expect it to sound traditional. That’s not really the case here. The songs are generally modern, clean, and honest. This “Old Man” does not seem all that old here. I don’t really know many things I would compare it with honestly, but at times I think of some of Paul Simon’s solo work for some reason, some Bob Dylan too.

What I like about this release is, most times you hear the banjo nowadays it’s used on a track or two for a certain effect on a particular song. Rarely do you hear something this modern use the banjo as the main instrument throughout the release. It’s an underused instrument that has a great sound when used well, and that’s certainly the case here. It’s also just nice and refreshing album, nothing is overdone. It’s relaxing.

I have to say my favorite song on here might be the cover of Willie P. Bennett’s “Caney Fork River” though. I wish the other songs showed a little bit more of the traditional sound you hear here. I guess with me you just can’t win. I’m a want a little modern and a little traditional here, but I think with the modern some of the tracks sound a little similar at times. Either way, I find this a nice and enjoyable release, especially for this time of year.