"Dreamy Cello + Dark Beats + Smart Emotional Vocals “Elliott Smith with a cello” would be a lazy and reductionist way to introduce the music of Luke Janela, despite the parallels between the two songwriters — namely, their intimate, minimalist, melancholy acoustic elegies originally born in the bedrooms of gray and rainy Portland, Oregon. Janela’s inclusion of a drum machine and effects pedals, combined with the rich, deep, sonorous tone of his cello, gives his performances the time-collapsing atmosphere of ancient eras meeting the future. This is no mere gimmick at work, though: Janela’s welding of words to melodies is as accomplished as any erudite troubadour. That Janela left Portland for Nevada City, CA, hasn’t altered his desolate atmospheres, either — it merely means that maybe he’ll wheel his way into the city more often. Good news for us indeed. — J. Graham - SF Weekly User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.