New Ben Harper-produced album Best of Luck due February 7th via ANTI-.
“Christopher Paul Stelling is an intense singer and lyrically has that poetic sense of mystery you can find in the songs of Bob Dylan.” – NPR Music
Photo credit: Chris Phelps
Christopher Paul Stelling’s new album Best Of Luck is a supremely accessible and finely crafted record that deftly merges genres. Producer Ben Harper, who has previously produced records by Mavis Staples, Rickie Lee Jones, The Blind Boys of Alabama and more, recruited an all-star rhythm section with Jimmy Paxson (Stevie Nicks, Dixie Chicks) on drums and upright bass player Mike Valerio (Randy Newman, LA Philharmonic) to lend a versatility and finesse. “I really believe this record is the intersection where folk and soul meet,” Harper says.
Today Stelling has released the tender new song ‘Lucky Stars’; watch Stelling walk through a colorful carnival in the song’s video courtesy of Open Ears HERE. The sonic simplicity of ‘Lucky Stars’ reveals a richness of melody and emotionality in Stelling’s music. “It’s part love song, part lullaby,” Stelling says of the track, “with a gentle touch from the band and Ben’s haunting lap steel matching my guitar in the instrumental section, additional vocals by my partner. It’s about gratitude and the mysteries of the universe. Even to just be here and marvel at it all is enough for me most times. Even if it’s meaningless, it’s beautiful.”
Throughout Best of Luck, feelings discontent and self-doubt are transformed into messages of resilience and hope. Lead single ‘Trouble Don’t Follow Me’ captures this perfectly, with an upbeat almost anthemic rhythm and soulful, gospel-tinged vocals. Watch Stelling’s energetic live performance of the track HERE. “It comes as no surprise to me that one of my most optimistic songs could be written in the most difficult hour,” Stelling says. “When all I needed was a little hope and a song I could play night after night and not get tired of. Something that captured the basic recipe for endurance. A song about marching on, a warning to anything that might stand in your way, and needing to feel strong for the people around you, so you can inspire them to do the same.”
https://christopherpaulstelling.com/
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