Luke Schneider is a popular Nashville-based session musician, having played a variety of stringed instruments alongside Margo Price, William Tyler, Orville Peck, and so many more over the years. However, Altar of Harmony, to be released through Third Man Records this Friday, marks his leap into solo production.
"Altar of Harmony" is a very fitting title for this collection of eight meditative compositions. Using pedal steel on each track, Schneider brings his own unique aesthetic to the broad genre of "new age" - warm, repetitive music that has received a bad rap at times, but is seemingly experiencing a comeback. Each song inhales slowly, building base drones on top of which Schneider layers instrumentation. In certain moments, the signature guitar stylings of the aforementioned William Tyler can be heard, and in others, the ambient textures of fellow Nashville musician Rich Ruth come out, but Schneider's music stands on its own. Many of his songs feature melodies which are sustained for longer periods of time, and are softly atmospheric, bringing the listener into a state of harmony - likely his intention.
Lead single Anteludium is a highlight, but so too is Mundi Tuum Est, situated right in the middle of the album. This Friday, check both of them out, but as you might imagine with an album so complimentary to meditative practice, listening to all eight tracks in one sitting, uninterrupted, is the best way to experience Altar of Harmony. It is an outstanding debut from Luke Schneider, and hopefully the beginning to a prolific solo chapter in his music career.
Here's a taste of the album out this Friday via Third Man: