One of the best things about doing this magazine is making friends from around the world, who share a love of good music. Doctor Lincoln has become one of those friends, and so we were very happy to find he had completed his second album, “Will See You Now,” which is due for formal release in August. His first album, Wallflower,” came out in 2016. This review also includes part of a conversation we had with Lincoln.
For those who don’t know,
Doctor Lincoln is an ex-cardiac surgeon, who left medicine for music. He is a Kerala-based Singer-songwriter who emerged on Kerala’s underground music scene with the now-defunct Alternate/Avant Garde band Once Chosen circa 2008. He released his debut album, “Wallflower,” featured on Rolling Stone India’s ‘New Music 2016’, rated “about as fresh as alt rock gets.” The neurodivergent ex-heart surgeon then released his debut single, ‘Don’t Let Go’ in 2022, followed closely by his second single, ‘Break The Ice’ . We had a feature article with him in 2022 and are pleased to get behind this new collection of his music.
The Review: (by Lorraine Foley)
“Start Over.” This opens a quick intercom call and an invitation for the Doctor to see you now! Then with a smooth groove, a promise to start over. It is a song of hope and takes us quickly into a pop rhythm slightly reminiscent of Duran Duran.
“Don’t Let Go.” This was familiar to me as it was a previous single release, but I think it has been reworked here a bit. It is commercial and radio friendly, and showcases all that is best about Lincoln’s vocals. This is a very likeable track!
“Break the Ice.” with this section, Doctor Lincoln is in a comfortable groove and is delivering the hits. It has a great music interlude in the mid-section; it was the second single from the album; and it has a chorus melody that has you singing it long after you finish listening to it.
“Musth.” this introduces us to the elephant in the room, lyrically! It is easy-listening pop music that is really well crafted, and I liked the guitar and steady rhythm section on this one.
“Wallflower.” this one changed direction, with a piano being introduced to take us into this thoughtful ballad. It is a gentle piece, with Lincoln’s vocals hitting a deeper tone.
“Our Lucky Stars.” If we had a vinyl album, then I suspect this would be the opening side 2. This one has a battle back against the world feel and a rockier edge. Lincoln’s vocals are always easy on the ear, and the backing vocals add depth to this one.
“Sing.” A song of joy and optimism, with the backing singers doing a solid job! It mixes a western sound with a bit of Bollywood, and it is the most dance friendly track on the album. You could party and bop about with this one!
“Get Burned” (Featuring Rex Vijayan). I found this the most interesting song on the album. It’s not the most commercial, and it might not be a single, but it has a storytelling element, searing instrumentals, and a solid message. It is a track I will be revisiting.
“AVNGR.” A change of direction It’s a bit hard to describe this one! It slots neatly into the album and continues with a more electro-pop sound. The song builds momentum and sees the Doctor move into slightly different territory.
“I Love You, Lord.” (Laurie Adams-Klein): This is, as the title indicates, a religious-style modern hymn. It also switches to some strange electro sounds toward the end, with a sound montage that closes the album.
Doctor Lincoln wrote and sang all of the songs (in English).
Standout tracks: “Don’t Let Go” and “Get Burned.”
In summary, it has been a while since 2016, and a lot has happened since. However, this album has a slick feel; it is a blend of electro music with AOR rock and pop. It is very listenable; there are no fillers and no tracks that made me want to skip! This is music I would listen to on the sofa at the end of the day, probably with a glass of wine, a few olives, and some crusty bread! The doctor has delivered an album for listening pleasure in 2023.
An international cast of artists worked on the album:
Synthesist & Keyboards: Philipp Krätzer
Drums: Francesca Prattico from Italy
Horn Section: William Allen Jr., from the US
Steven Schumann from the US plays the rock organ.
Ori Shlez from Israel Keyboards:
Elizabeth Gaylord from South Africa’s Sound Design
Rex Vijayan is from India. His guitar playing and production have greatly influenced Doctor Lincoln. He worked on the sound design.
You can continue to find out more about Doctor Lincoln on his webpage, linked here
And for a bit more on the album, we had a talk with Doctor Lincoln about life, nappies (he has become a father, congratulations), producing, and the work he has been doing with Nushka.The Doctor has been listening to bands like Depeche Mode recently, and you can pick up on that on the album. He is looking to reach out to a larger audience and is getting people used to the sound.
Lincoln – I’m old-school on the subject of albums. I come from an album generation, from “Abbey Road” to “The Wall,” all of it. And an album should tell a story through those songs; it can be like reading a novel. You have these chapters to finish, and once you finish, you want to read some parts again and again. Singles are immediate and trendy, but I think the bigger record companies are advising artists to maybe just put out singles and neglect the album to keep the interest (and albums are also a lot more expensive to put together). The industry creates the trends, but where you have singles, you can put them together! I have ten songs on this album, but I’m not releasing them one at a time. The singles thing happened when artists began to rely on social media to promote their sales, and to get followers, it is better to keep putting one song after another out. But when our musical heroes combined songs into a full body of work, it was exciting. I came from cassette tape and CD, and it was always exciting to listen from beginning to end. Each song would take me on a journey. And from the sleeve to the inlay, buying music was a full experience; they were works of art.
One question we put to Lincoln was about the gap between “Wallflower” (download link here) and “Will See You Now.” We had a memory that he had not been entirely happy with the first album.
Lincoln- I am over the moon with the new album. If you were to head off and listen to my first album, “Wallflower,” and then compare it to this album, I have made huge steps forward in production. I don’t feel happy with the production of “Wallflower” to this day. I had limitations for that album. On that album, I worked with a friend who promised me a good sound, but it never sounded that great, and when I sent it for reviews, a lot of people wouldn’t pick it up. So I met that challenge and got such exciting artists to play for this one. I hired this amazing drummer, introduced the saxophone and keyboards, and I had so much fun making it. The music was done online, back and forth; but it all worked. Back then, in 2016, I was also moonlighting, working in medicine, and then trying to get the album working. But now, I was there fully, overseeing everything and making sure it all sounded good. There was also a hero of mine, Rex Vijayan (he has a band that sings in the local language, and they are really good), and I was so lucky that he did the sound side. He made sure the production was top-notch, and I am so proud.
There is a lot to be proud of here in this album, and we really hope you download it and have a listen. Doctor Lincoln has also been active on the live circuit, co-headlining some pretty big festivals over in India this year, and looking to spread his wings more internationally too. So, watch this space!
By Mark C. Chambers
and
Lorraine Foley
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