Categories : Music Reviews, Rock + Pop, Top Rated.
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Rating: 4.5 / 5 Reviewer: David Coats |
“Gentleman” Reg Vermue (late of The Hidden Cameras) went through something of a dry spell between the demise of his previous label, Three Gut, and releasing Jet Black, his first LP for Arts & Crafts. A well-respected veteran of the Canadian indie scene, Vermue recruited a who’s-who of musicians with whom to collaborate, including Bry Webb (Constantines), Greg Millson (Great Lake Swimmers), Elizabeth Powell (Land of Talk), and Katie Sketch (The Organ), and crafted a strikingly personal record deserving of a place in album-of-the-year conversations.
Vermue, as both a writer and performer, demonstrates compelling sincerity, and humility to the point of self-consciousness, making his songs undeniably endearing. Jet Black is stylistically diverse, but Vermue’s obvious pop sensibility never really misses. In fact, this is the rare record where every song could be a legitimate single. ‘We’re In A Thunderstorm’ is built on an electronic percussive foundation, and is one of several songs where Vermue addresses his homosexuality and the insecurities of his relationships. The pop-rock of ‘You Can’t Get It Back’ and ‘How We Exit’ adds grit and instrumental subtlety, while ‘To Some It Comes Easy’ and beautiful ballad ‘Oh My God’ are also standouts. The record’s best song, though, is Valentines’-written ‘Rewind,’ a ballad duet between Vermue and Sketch. Beautifully balanced and restrained, the song perfectly reflects Vermue’s ever-present vulnerability, and the lyric, “There’s no point in going back when a masterpiece is crumbling,” is extremely affecting.
In Stuart Berman’s book This Book Is Broken, Vermue reminisces about playing an early show with members of Broken Social Scene: “I was feeling nervous and out of place and extra gay or something. I remember Kevin [Drew] being really drunk…and then I played ‘Give Me a Chance to Fall’ – this two-minute pop song – and then Kevin coerced me to play the song again.” Listening to Jet Black, you’ll fall in love with Vermue’s songs as Drew did, and find yourself playing them more than twice.
