19. He’s only 19.
With skills and confidence well beyond his 19 years on this earth, Chicago’s Luke Underhill possesses a tight grip on stellar songwriting skills and beautiful orchestrations in the stirring ‘Atlas Unplugged’ collection.
Calling to mind other singer/songwriters like Howie Day or even John Mayer, Underhill’s romantic prose and heart-on-sleeve approach is perfect for pop rock fans. I suspect the younger female tweens and such will go goo-goo-radio-gaga for this sensitive soul. But, don’t count out his appeal to younger males that find themselves reaching for better ways to communicate with the opposite sex.
“Stars” is subtle and quite intoxicating. While all the songs on ‘Atlas’ are acoustic, the piano orchestrations and acoustic guitar combinations in most (including “Stars”) can at times be a bit of a beautiful distraction to Underhill’s surprisingly robust vocals.
The track “Working Man’s Daughter” will not get out of my head. When I first started listening to this song, I was a bit bored by the long introduction. Get the point! Don’t bore us, get to the chorus! Something changed and all of a sudden, his heart poured itself into the words and his acoustic guitar playing bordered on an angry and passionate display. What a powerful song!
“No More Like Me,” “Atlas” “Something” and “Heart of Glass” collectively cement Underhill’s distinct song-writing prowess. He’s reflective. He keeps the listener in check with their thoughts, at the same time, slowly taking their arm down an emotional path. He’s also 19.
With eight tracks total and all acoustic, the mellow tones and sometimes heart-breaking feelings spread out over melodies and cascading keys, Underhill puts together an exceptional package.
Did I mention he’s 19?
