Gary Lucas & Jann Klose
Stereopticon
(self-released)

Gary Lucas & Jann Klose’s “Fair Weather” opens their new album, Stereopticon, and instantly we realize both what a stellar guitar player Lucas is and what a top-notch singer Klose is. Between them, this songwriting pair have played with Captain Beefheart, Graham Parker, Pat Benatar and Pete Seeger, to name just a few. Here, the pair come off sounding outstanding. There’s more spot-on Lucas acoustic dexterity on “Let No One Come Between Us,” a bluesy “Well of Loneliness” mines a very commercial sing-along vein, as the duo harmonizes perfectly (something they do a lot here). “Mary Magdalene” sees more perfect picking from Lucas and the pair harmonizing wonderfully again, probably the best they do on Stereopticon. “Overture,” with its simple hard strumming from Lucas, has Klose singing, warbling his falsetto and otherwise kicking the vocals to the stratosphere on this last of the eleven. Along the way, Lucas and Klose infuse these acoustic ditties with well-seasoned feel, expert songwriting and spectacular playing and singing. Stereopticon is simply a high-class collection from two masters at the game combining their talents seamlessly.