Tony Dekker possesses a voice which could likely be brought into the debate for best in Canadian music. And if you’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing him perform live it is instantly apparent that there are no editing tricks involved. It is therefore little surprise that his deft vocal touch is once again the driving force on the Great Lake Swimmers latest effort, Lost Channels. With their trademark lyrical imagery the band stands out on the likes of ‘Palmistry’ and ‘She Comes To Me In Dreams’ and their unusual use of urban metaphor in ‘Concrete Heart’ manage to create what is probably the best song they’ve released to date.
Cuff the Duke are quickly bolstering themselves as one of Canada’s elite musical acts. Their two previous releases are both worthy of consideration on top five lists from bygone years and Way Down Here hits the mark again in 2009. And as if they weren’t competent enough on their own, here they bring in Blue Rodeo front man Greg Keelor to produce. From the more traditional country tunes ‘Follow Me’ and ‘Rocking Chair’ to the heavier indie feel of ‘It’s All a Blur,’ the musical and vocal beauty of ‘Like the Morning’ and the extended jam at the conclusion of closer ‘Need You,’ Cuff the Duke’s Way Down Here is another front to back success for the band.
Bill Callahan possesses a distinctive and singular voice. One that he puts to good use on the second record released under his own name, Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle. Despite being a rather down-tempo record, Callahan is able to pull in his listener and keep them hanging on his every word for the entirety of the album. From early highlights ‘Jim Cain’ and ‘Eid Ma Clack Shaw’ to ‘Too Many Birds’ and the ten minute closer ‘Faith / Void’ on which Callahan wears his religious views on his sleeve (with the repetition throughout of “It’s time to put God away”) there is nothing here not to like.
Being the son of a famous musician certainly has its inherent expectations, but with his sophomore release Six Shooter, Dustin Bentall cements what his debut release hinted at – that he has nothing to worry about in exceeding those expectations. Six Shooter brings, whether intentionally or not, an A-Side, B-Side feel with two distinct styles, both of which have their own endearing qualities and both feeding off one another to come together in a complete and wholly enjoyable musical experience. Bentall seems to just keep getting better and better.
One of the frequent critiques of The Decemberists’ Hazards of Love that can be found is that in creating a concept album with a narrative the band has prevented any of the songs from being able to stand alone. But with such a strong effort one would ask why you would ever want to listen to anything less than the record in its entirety. Fantastic songs combine to form a fantastic record, with highlights that include ‘Won’t Want for Love’ and album closer ‘The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned),’ with its hypnotizing pedal steel work and Colin Meloy’s stand out vocal performance.
For a man with as solid and long standing a reputation as Jay Farrar, expectations for the latest from his alt-country band Son Volt were high as usual. Unfortunately Farrar’s downcast 2009 release American Central Dust fails to come through. There are a few, if any, standout tracks on the record – it simply lacks what you would expect from a man widely regarded to be one of the founding fathers of alt-country music.
