It’s no secret that we love a good punk rocker turned singer-songwriter around here (Jesse Malin, Elliott Smith, et al.), which explains, I suppose, why Doug Keith’s new record, The Lucky Ones, is one of my favorite recent additions to that proud tradition. Keith, who used to play bass in the punk outfit The Gods Hate Kansas, has plenty of songwriting tricks/catchy choruses up his sleeve and the voice of an old soul to boot, but that only lays the foundation for the album’s charm.
Thankfully, this Take Away Show-esque video, featuring a wandering dog, American flag, empty attic, and Keith performing the album’s title track goes further to explain said charm than I’m able to put to words. Though my favorite cuts on the 11-song album are the singalong-inspiring “Don’t Let Your Darkness Overtake You” and “Come Back Become” (which fans of Josh Ritter and T Bone Burnett-produced records will love), this live solo version of the record’s second song is a worthy introduction to The Lucky Ones.
Watch it here or below (cute dog FTW):