Luke Top
Suspect Highs
GRAND GALLOP/ORG MUSIC
6/10
Luke Top is one of the founding members of Fool’s Gold—the Los Angeles group known for combining African rhythms and Western pop sensibilities. But Suspect Highs, Top’s solo debut, finds him sounding more like Bryan Ferry than Talking Heads. This is chamber pop, filled out by saxophone, organ, fragile guitar, and backup singers. “Avalon” recalls the Roxy Music song of the same name, with Top in full-on Ferry mode. His croon can be anything it wants: full, deep, thin as a wire. Top is a shapeshifter, but this doesn’t quite work in the album’s favor. Suspect Highs is bookended by its highlights: “Marble Floors” is an elegant introduction, but up-tempo single “Lucky Penny” is an odd closer for an album that’s kind of a drag otherwise. Each track is backed by a great deal of talent—this much is obvious—but as a collection, Suspect Highs is a bit disjointed.
