And as the album describes, Old Man Soul Club’s latest offering isn’t as much a cohesive or planned journey of tracks as it is a smorgasbord or assortment of songs scattered across. With a mixture of feelings, styles, and sounds, ‘Pot Luck’ is what it entails. It’s a fun collection of pieces where nothing in particular was made for the album, but they all maintain to entertain you in their own unique ways. There’s a sprinkle of modernity, a dose of retro, and a whole lot in between. More than anything, what ‘Pot Luck’ has in droves is endearment. Each song is bathed in warmth, a raw and sincere intimacy that Steve Hanshaw is so readily able to disperse to his listeners.
From the opening chords of ‘Revolve’, you can hear the soulfulness behind his voice and the emotion in the arrangement. There’s not a whole lot of fine tuned or polished production across the record, each song sounding slightly unfinished and demo-esque. But therein lies the charm of ‘Pot Luck’. It feels like it’s coming from within, without any sprinkles or second guessing to it. With songs like ‘Hillbilly Bo’ and ‘Splash’ also throwing in the complementary country twang , there’s never a moment of dullness or boredom to be had either.
The album hits its catharsis point during its final piece, ‘Sundays Song’. The slow ballad, driven by a piano without vocals interfering is a mellow and sombre end to an otherwise more cheery and feel good record. In a way, by the time you come around to the end, you do feel a bit of a flow to this record even if it may not have been intended. A sprightly and welcome piece of alternative folk.