Last night’s show at The Black Sheep Tavern marks my third time seeing them live in as many months and it was a fantastic show, as always. The Black Sheep Tavern was sold out, packed despite the snow covered roads and impending freezing rain, and we were not to be disappointed.

Openers Harlan Pepper were amazing. A few months back I experienced my first ever encore by an opening act (Lake of Stew, also performing at the Black Sheep)- well that count has now risen to two. And a well deserved encore it was…

Hailing from Hamilton Ontario, this rather young (just barely nineteen) and very enthusiastic (adorably so) four-piece charmed the audience with a mix of rock, bluegrass, psychedelic, and folk.  Though their hand-made signs (‘Harlan Pepper’ written in sharpie on two cardboard cutouts of deer) and flowered cowboy shirts may have suggested something softer, they rocked out song after song, seemingly gaining energy instead of tiring out. At one point lead singer Dan Edmonds and guitarist Jimmy Hayes stood on two chairs in the audience and co-played their guitars- strumming their own and playing the chords on the others’. Though I’m sure they’ve practiced it a million times, they pulled it off with a sense of spontaneity that made the crowd go wild. After a few covers, a few more unerringly energetic tunes and a plea from drummer Marion Nicolle to think about purchasing their CD (“Y’know, if you like what you hear… If you want to…” Adorable.) they played the aforementioned encore. Brilliant, all round.

Elliott Brood then took the stage with a declaration of “Its been too long Wakefield!” from guitarist Casey Laforet. I’ve lost count of the number of times I have seen them perform live, but this was the first time I have ever been seated for an Elliot Brood show- and I’m not gonna lie, it felt weird. But the tables were right up front, and being right up front is kinda my bag, so seated I was.

Despite half the audience being in chairs, the boys had everyone bopping their heads and clapping along in no time. With the exit sign above the door flickering with the bass, the snow swirling outside the window, and the candles lighting steins of beer, it was easy to feel immersed in their frontier aesthetic and darkness-riddled narratives. They rolled through a few songs before pulling out some tunes from their oldest full length LP, Ambassadour. We were even treated to a lyric-less partial version of “President 35″ when lead singer Mark Sasso, stumbling during the first verse lost his place and couldn’t get back on track. Talking to him after the show, he laughed and shook his head “I can’t believe I forgot the words to my own song!” With other performers it might have been awkward, but the joking and teasing that followed made it decidedly entertaining (referencing their pre-song banter about the upcoming American Presidential race and the republican leadership scandals; “Newt Gingrich wanted to have an open marriage so he could get with Mark, can you blame him for getting all distracted?”).

About half way through the set the boys were having no more of this sitting down nonsense so with a “Stand up if you’re gonna vote in the next election!” from Sasso, and awkward ‘You get up first’ ‘No YOU get up first’ glances all around, we were suddenly on our feet and dancing to the thundering beat of “Oh Alberta,” “Miss You,” and “Valley Town” (I gotta say, there is just something about seeing two grown men rocking out on ukuleles that always makes my day). This is where EB are always at their best: Stephen Pitkin stompin’ it out on the best kit in the land (drums covered in birch bark and wood grain, replacing his original suitcase bass drum), Casey Laforet shaking his shaggy mane over the steel guitar, and  Mark Sasso on the banjo with his boppy right-step left-step shuffle.

The dancing is always my favourite part of an Elliott Brood show…  Glancing back at the teenage boys exuberantly jumping to banjo music, seeing the huge smiles on the faces of each band member, and feeling the floor bounce beneath your feet as every one shouts “HEY, HEY, HEY” in perfect unison. Add in a few encores and a rousing all-bands number with Harlan Pepper (during which we held down our table while Dan Edmonds and HP bassist Thompson Winston danced on it…) and the performance sadly drew to a close. As everyone gathered their coats and the crowd started to disperse, Mark Sasso stepped down off the stage and shook my hand and that of my friend. “Hey, I just wanted to say thanks for dancing!” You gotta love a band that plays an amazing show, and then thanks you for enjoying it… Do me a favour (do yourself a favour!) next time you see that Elliott Brood is playing a gig near you- go. And bring everyone you know.

reviewed by Cory McCrindle

If this EP has a target audience, it may be those who are lonesome for the East Coast or life near the water in general. That’s the mood it seems to invoke. And what I’ve heard leads me to think that while Sea and City has some very good raw materials to work with here, the product sounds like it’s not quite finished. Still, the EP shows that the band has quite a lot of promise.

The first track I listened to is called “Dreaming About the Sea.”  It is an atmospheric number featuring guitar and banjo as well as echoing vocals.  It’s somewhat comforting, although feels a bit amateurish in its execution. There’s a little bit of a Simon and Garfunkel vibe going on here at the beginning, but then the track morphs into a bit of cacophony. Overall, the song shows flashes of Broken Social Scene and perhaps even Arcade Fire, but with a decidedly Celtic lilt.  It’s a damn good effort, mind you, and the instrumentation is solid.  I am especially taken with the great drumming here.  The downside, I feel, is that the mix is a little muddy.  In the hands of a good producer, this song could come across much better in my humble opinion.

The second track, “Two Weeks,” sounds a bit like 80′s Brit-Pop, maybe a poor cousin to the Modern English hit “I Melt With You.”  It has a similar bright delivery that almost transcends the soggy mix…almost.  I will say that I again enjoyed the crisp drumming, and that I loved the great bass break.  The lyrics are for the most part light and airy.  For example, the lines “Call me in the morning and we can talk about the truth/Fairytales and whimsical ideas, of things you’d never know/We used to sit and feed the ducks/or drive around in that old pickup truck/Do you remember?” suggest a carefree time gone by. However, the buoyant mind picture is stifled by having to hear it as if there was a sponge in the speakers.

“Lungs” is another atmospheric tune. The drummer is the true star here and puts on a terrific, mesmerizing percussive display. As a result, the guitar and steady bass – while solid – are relegated to supporting roles. It appears to be yet another nautical-themed number in some respects. The hollow sounding vocals lend to the ethereal quality.  I am reminded somewhat of Dream Academy with this song.  The repeated phrase “Right above my head there’s an ocean” does more to confuse than to clarify.  But the line can be overlooked in the interests of poetic license.

The next number, “The Distance Above and Below,” is a reverberating instrumental track that sounds like it would fit perfectly into the soundtrack of a road adventure movie.  But at 1:46 run time, it seems to me to be incomplete.  I actually quite enjoyed listening to it and wanted to travel, musically-speaking, along with it. Unfortunately, it didn’t take me as far as I would have liked to go.  Near the end you hear some distant sounding background vocals perhaps meant to sound like angel-choir ‘aaaahhhhs.’  In the version I heard, it kind of ends abruptly, and that to me does a disservice to both the song and the band.

“Wicker Chair” is the closest thing to a gem in this collection, although the gem is still somewhat flawed. I know under the surface of this number is a beautiful, powerful song…it’s just hard to actually hear it. The upside here is that the lyrics are pretty good, evocative of mood and with a strong delivery. The drumming, as it is throughout the album, is beyond reproach. There is some nice guitar work in what sounds like it must be a backwards track and I think I can imagine what the keyboards were meant to sound like. There is a nice sound collage at the end that includes more backwards tracking as well as a tolling bell.  But the downside, yet again, is the muddy mix. And that robs me as a listener on what could have – and should have – been a very satisfying musical experience. I was also distracted by what I viewed as an unnecessary and distracting piano line. If it was meant to give colour to the piece, I think it failed. The song could have done without its inclusion. Still, this to me is without a doubt the best track on the CD.

The sixth and final song, “Angel Hair,” is in the same vein as some of the other tracks in terms of style. It has a dreamlike quality that you might justify using in one song, but perhaps not a whole album’s worth. It’s like a sonic rolling wave. It’s a moody, trippy number with a bit of a warm glow to it which suddenly emerges from its cocoon into the more clearly delivered line, “Don’t let me find you chasing after me” as if it is a separate song. That line builds into a chorus, backed with bird sounds and children’s noises. On the surface that may sound like a strange mixture, but somehow it works and is actually a nice touch.

While the songs from Mice Can Start Fires are less than perfect, there’s nothing here that couldn’t be made better with a cleaner sound mix. Sea and City seem to be on the right track and this is a good first step. It’s hard to base much of a prognosis on just six tracks, so I will wait to see what the band comes up with going forward and wish them all the best. But what I will say is that I sincerely hope they can use the good raw materials they have and build something more sonically solid in the future.

Mice Can Start Fires is available via Bandcamp. Also note that from that page, one can order “hand-packaged, personally loved” physical copies. They look pretty swell.

Top Tracks:  ”Angel Hair;” “Wicker Chair”

Rating: Young Hoot (Decent)

reviewed by Michael Thomas

With a name like Sacred Balance, this Toronto/Montreal band needed to have something to show to live up to its almost zen-like title. Thankfully, the group doesn’t disappoint on their first effort.

The band’s genre of choice is trip hop, a genre that I was a little unsure about before doing some quick research. The definition isn’t easily described, but as a comparison I would say Sacred Balance is like a more instrument-based version of the Montreal duo Beast, though that’s not a great comparison to make either.

Trip hop usually relies heavily on electronics, and while the EP does have some of that, it isn’t the largest part of the music. The most pleasing (and unexpected) instrument to hear was the violin, which plays a rather substantial part in almost every song.

So what exactly is Sacred Balance? Well, they’re definitely not your traditional rock or pop band. Singer Chloe Charles sings like a more expressive (and female, obviously) Beck Hansen, making the tone of each song completely different from any other song with guitar, bass and drums.

The subject of abnormality is present in a few songs, such as the opening track “Alien In My Bed” which is a disturbing thought just based on the song title. The sense of abnormality is also in the extremely catchy song “The Hole” which seems to be about a man falling through a hole and into some kind of strange hell where he meets himself. Even more unnerving is that this creepy story is told in a call-and-response form, making it sound a little like a campfire song.

The EP can also be divided in half- the latter three songs are all called acoustic, and the distinction is fairly obvious in the two versions of the song “Corrections In Ink” but otherwise it can be hard to differentiate due to the complexity of Sacred Balance’s melodies and instruments.

In the end, the EP triumphs in distinguishing itself from a slew of other Toronto acts. Here’s hoping the band continues to display its penchant for complex song structures coupled with unique vocal deliveries.

The EP is available as of today via Bandcamp.

Top Tracks: “Corrections in Ink”; “The Hole (acoustic)”

Rating: Strong Hoot (Good)

reviewed by Jeff McAllister

The boys behind March Forth have grown a ton in six months. The band is still relatively young—a fact I smiled upon fondly when I reviewed their self-titled debut in April—but over the past few months a lot has gone on behind the scenes. The quintet has become a quartet. The group has reevaluated its sound and let hip-hop take the back seat. And it seems these decisions were, for the most part, good ones—The Revival is a stronger record than its predecessor in terms of songwriting, musicianship, and production quality.

The band I previously compared to Linkin Park and N.E.R.D., I would now be more inclined to slot next to vintage Jet or Franz Ferdinand. Eddie C. Lane’s frantic guitar work—particularly on the EP opener, Lady for the Night—is reminiscent of the pop-rock of the early 2000’s; Anthonie D’Elia’s increasingly confident yelp fits that bill to a T. While most of March Forth’s earlier lyrics centered around heartbreak, tracks like the vintage sounding Backseat Bingo are more occupied with the rockstar celebration. Verses like, “So I man up, stand up, walk to her, say ‘girl, how’d you like your eggs,’/ What I meant to say was lady, wanna spread your legs?” blur the line between cheese and bravado—which  what rock and roll is all about, really.

The album isn’t perfect. Sure March Forth are a tighter band, but a large part of their initial charm was their novelty—their music was rose-tinted with ambition. Now that the boys’ genre switch has landed them on a more populated path, they’re going to have to do a lot more to stand out. Whether that involves resurrecting past influences, or pushing even further forward, we’ll see, but if there’s one thing to be sure about, it’s that March Forth are dexterous. Given their speed and adaptability, I have no doubt that that horizon isn’t so far off. Once more, I look forward to hearing what they do next.

Top Track: “Lady for the Night”

Rating: Young Hoot (Decent)

reviewed by Michael Thomas

I’ll love this EP ’til the sun burns out.

This blog rarely gets the chance to cover Yukon acts, so imagine my surprise when I received this split EP from two Yukon bands. Despite both bands using the same adjective, and despite both acts being from the same territory, the acts are different enough to make a very diverse EP.

The first half of the EP belongs to Old Time Machine, the collaborative effort of Ryan McNally and Kyle Cashen. Though the EP doesn’t reveal this through listening, the two apparently play through a slew of instruments during their performance, something like five instruments a piece.

The Old Time Machine half of the EP starts off with “Sun Burns Out.” The layout isn’t too complex- a kick drum and notes on the acoustic guitar accompany McNally’s baritone vocals. His half-singing-half-talking vocal style gives the song a very sensual feel.

The other Old Time Machine song is “Tearing Me Down.” This hints at the complexity the duo is capable of, with a mandolin playing over a drum machine, and McNally’s vocals garnished with reverb. The song is quite catchy and probably my favourite of all four EP tracks.

Meanwhile, Old Cabin takes up the EP’s other half. Old Cabin is the name for Jona Barr’s solo act, and while Old Time Machine does well with the interplay between two musicians, Old Cabin explores more time-honoured folk traditions, trading complexity for slower–but more haunting–melodies.

The first Old Cabin song is “Frost Windows” which takes minimalism to a new level. There is very little guitar in the song- single strums are used sparsely, leaving more room for Barr’s vocals (and his harmonies with a female backup singer). The song is very haunting and atmospheric.

“New Flashing Lights” has a steady drum beat in the background over a more active acoustic guitar. The song is one that many can relate to- it seems to be a song about growing up, but told in a distinctly Old-Cabin way.

Old Time Machine and Old Cabin both are worthy acts in completely different ways. Putting them together is an even bigger treat.

Top Track: “Tearing Me Down”

Rating: Proud Hoot (Really Good)

The unsigned concert series has been around for a while in Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton, but now Vancouver is getting its own.

Who: Sidney York; Treelines; The Ruffled Feathers

When: January 26th, 2012, Doors at 8 p.m.

Where: Biltmore Cabaret

Cost: $5 at the door

All proceeds will be going back into the music community via Music BC.

reviewed by Michael Thomas

Though featuring two fewer members, The Fires Of still manage to maintain a sense of community, a vibe that was just oozing from their debut self-titled LP.

One marked change from their previous recording is that the band reaches a little more into the melancholy zone, a contrast from the joyous sound from The Fires Of. That isn’t to say that there isn’t any joy on this new EP, only that there’s a little less.

The first song is actually pretty joyful, the straightforward and soaring song “Memories in Flight.” The song wastes little time in launching its main electric-guitar-driven melody and Graeme Donnelly covers the vocals, though is sometimes joined by Lisa Di Diodato for some great harmonies. The two singers alternate between main vocal duties song by song.

The second track “I Can’t Sleep” is the only song on the EP that falls a little short. While the slightly sad feel to the tune is an interesting change and the bass riff is cool, it becomes a little forgettable.

“One Decent Thing,” however, is the catchiest tune of all five. This is the song that really gives off the sense of community that The Fires Of nail so well. The electric guitar riff is quick and the drums keep up. Right before Donnelly launches into the chorus (in harmony with Di Diodato, of course), he suddenly increases his volume with the words “remind me,” giving the song a real power. I also loved a few of the lines here: “Like every time I forget music means anything/Remind me how it saved your life in high school.”

Next up is “Sleeping In,” a song Di Diodato takes vocal duties for. The song is actually pretty adorable- the electric guitar is more gentle, there is a good deal of xylophone in the background as well as violin courtesy of band member Peyton Leung. The chorus repeats the words “Sleeping in is all I want to do” which is something that anyone on this planet can relate to.

The EP ends with the ambitious and epic song “Somebody Tell Me I’m Dreaming.” Donnelly and guitarist Steve Canning mentioned it in my interview with them, and it doesn’t disappoint. The song runs at close to nine minutes and is the most melancholy of all of The Fires Of’s songs thus far. A simple few piano notes start off the song, and the sweeping questions of  “What did I do to make you act so cold?/Were the dreams we had so oversold?” The song slowly adds in more instruments and ends with a Radiohead-like dose of background static.

The Noise Around the Mean is an interesting followup and shows that the band hasn’t lost its touch. And whether the band wants to continue being joyful or mellow, they can probably do either one with a good degree of confidence.

The EP is out this Valentine’s Day, February 14th, 2012. Check out The Fires Of’s Facebook page for their most current happenings.

Top Track: “One Decent Thing”

Rating: Strong Hoot (Good) +*swoop*

reviewed by Laura Stanley 

I’m not a connoisseur when it comes to electronic music but is it possible for it to make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Whatever the answer, Triple Gangers low-fi version of electric-pop music will. In their first EP released in December, 3XG, Toronto’s Triple Gangers are creating music that will make you get up and dance all while covering such warming subjects like bunny rabbits and flowers.

For the first song, “Bunnies” think of a PG-13 rated Peter Rabbit book. A little sexual and a little adventurous, if you only listen to one song from the EP, make it be “Bunnies.” The vocal mixture from all three members, Aurora Cowie, Ghislan Aucoin and Ida Maidstone (The O’Darling), in “Bunnies,” but really throughout the short EP, blend together easily and is just another element that Triple Gangers certainly have going for them.

“Shout-out to my crocuses!” What might just be the best line from the EP, where “Flowerbed” falls short instrumentally compared to the other two tracks, certainly makes up for in its lyrics.

What was named #36 on Silentshout.ca’s Top 40 Songs of 2011, “Saltwater” is almost a mature song compared to the others. Not to be overlooked, Triple Ganger show that even though they make fun music, they can be serious about it too.

Friendly and fun, if you need a little pick-me-up to get you through the winter, or maybe just the week, Triple Gangers’ 3XG will be right up your alley.

3XG is available on Bandcamp.

Top Tracks: “Bunnies,” “Saltwater”

Rating: Proud Hoot (Really Good)

reviewed by Michael Thomas

While locations that aren’t the city seem to be big breeders of folk musicians, Vancouver has produced a folk singer-songwriter. C. Sterling infuses some pop elements to create an extremely accessible collection of four songs.

The first thing you’ll notice is just how freaking gorgeous it sounds. Within the first few seconds of the first song I knew I was hooked. And it only got better from there.

Speaking of the first song, “All the Hell You Breathe” is a great intro (and a very creatively-titled song). The “hell” that “you” breathe isn’t exactly clear, though a guess might be pollution. But it could also be more metaphorical and mean bad thoughts or something. Regardless of what it means, the light brushing of a drum kit, the simple strumming of guitar notes and Sterling’s remarkable hold on sung notes creates a peaceful and powerful statement.

The title track is the next song, and the EP is named after it for pretty good reason- it’s the most beautiful song on the album and it features Casey Mecija of Ohbijou. It starts out with nature sounds, like birds tweeting, then is backed by just an acoustic guitar. The back-and-forth (and then harmonizing) of Sterling and Mecija really evokes the images of folk music- it almost sounds like a traditional tune. Its gentleness is lovely, such as the opening line “Come here my dear with all your fears underneath the setting sun.” The song later adds a horn solo and a flourish of xylophone here and there.

“Tiger Proud” is probably the most pop of the four songs. It uses slightly more complex picking patterns on guitar and is this time backed by a bass guitar and drums. It also works in some synth, so by the time Sterling first sings the word “tiger” you’ll feel like you’re floating on a cloud.

Finally there’s the song “Sum > Parts.” It starts out with the sound of blowing wind and some strings which gives a sense that this song will be a little more sombre. It definitely keeps that sound and Sterling’s slightly echo-y vocals give off an ethereal sadness. The song sounds like someone nostalgic for good times. A great line from it: “I do like the light in your eyes/It gives me a reason to try.”

This EP is addictive and a fantastic introduction to this immensely talented singer-songwriter. I eagerly await his next release.

No Matter is available on Bandcamp.

Top Track: “No Matter”

Rating: Proud Hoot (Really Good) +*swoop*

reviewed by Cory McCrindle

Mike Procyshyn is the metaphorical duck.

Okay, there ya go, probably one of the weirdest music review introductions you’ll ever read.  Now I’ll attempt to explain how it perfectly describes the artist in question.  Someone once sagely observed that if you look at a swimming duck, it appears to glide calmly across the surface of the water.  What you can’t see from your vantage point is that underneath the surface its webbed feet are moving frantically to keep it zooming along.  Mike Procyshyn operates in very much the same way. His laidback, warm and friendly demeanour does not betray the fact that so much thought and effort go into everything he writes and plays.  The genius of the man is that he makes it all look – and sound – so easy.

The Patron Saint of All Night Diners is Procyshyn’s latest full-length effort, and builds on his previous CD …The Dogs Bark at Echoes.  At nine tracks, it’s a good overview of where Mike is at today musically speaking, although given Procyshyn’s deep well of creativity, it may not resemble much of what he ends up doing tomorrow.  I had a chance to see Mike play some of his new tracks live awhile back in his hometown of Kenora, Ontario and came away both suitably impressed and soul-nourished.  It’s always a pleasure to watch someone do something they love, and you can certainly tell that he loves to reach people by sharing the stories he’s handcrafted into tunes.

The first song on the CD, “I May Laugh a Bit,” is vintage Procyshyn.  It’s a decidedly folk-flavoured number, rollickingly plunked out on keyboards.  The storyline seems to revolve around romantic confusion fuelled by whatever happens to be on tap.  The backing musicianship reminds me of Neil Young’s approach to music in his periodic Crazy Horse phases.  The Horse may not be the greatest backing band in the world, but it suits the material just fine because of its perfect imperfections.  There’s just enough chaos at play to make it sound like the world’s greatest garage band in the middle of an all night jam session.  And there is plenty of rugged beauty to be found in that.  Mike Procyshyn’s wonderfully plaintive vocals are assisted by some nifty guitar, warmly rumbling bass and a steady, solid drumming effort.  The song bounces along nicely and definitely has an ear worm quality about it.  This is the one you’re most likely to replay in your head once it infects you.  And it will!

Just to keep you on your toes, Procyshyn heads off in a different direction on the next song, titled “Andromeda.” This may be one of the poppiest songs Mike has ever produced.  Mike uses the higher side of his vocal range and sings without his trademark countrified inflection.  I also enjoyed the calliope sounding keyboard in this one. Those who have followed Procyshyn’s career and music somewhat may – rightly – be wondering how much influence Mike’s friend and co-conspirator…uh…fellow musician…Jordan McDonald had on this track. If you’re familiar with Jordan’s work, it’s the kind of song you could imagine him coming up with. By the way, McDonald plays bass on five of the tracks on The Patron Saint of All Night Diners although this is not one of them.  To me, it’s a good thing for a musician to zig when everyone else thinks they’re going to zag.  It shows they aren’t stuck in a rut.  Mike pulls this tune off beautifully, although this is certainly a marked departure from what he’s made us used to within his repertoire.  It’s a song about a girl.  Or a galaxy.  And he does it all without any strain.

“Garden” marks a quick return to the style of music that fans of Mike Procyshyn are used to.  The song has a country feel to it, and is the kind of hurtin’ song that, to me, is Procyshyn’s most valued currency. Mike can create a song like this one and make you feel good while you are feeling bad. I was hooked once I heard the lyrics “I’ve been sleepin’ in your garden, garden/I’ve been beggin’ for your pardon, pardon/Please come back to me.”  The guitar, drums and bass work well together here, although the drumming seem to plod along at times. Still, there are some nice changes in this song and a kickin’ guitar break.

“Marion” begins a run of some slow, sad waltzes in the album.  The tune is anchored by guitar but lifted somewhat by atmospheric keyboard.  It brings to mind something The Band might have done, perhaps around the Basement Tapes era.  Sometimes art comes in the aftermath of love and in the shadow of loss, and this is just one example of this that can be found on “Patron Saint.”  There are even overtones of abandonment to add to the dismal scenery.  To give you a glimpse of the heart of this track, I’ll quote the lyrics “Marion, he came and wept ’til he had nothin’ left.”

The next song, “Tattoos of Jesus,” is the story of a lost soul.  The themes seem to be loss, including loss of faith and even hopelessness, but it’s wrapped in such a warm musical blanket that it eases your pain.  It’s an example of the rich yarns Procyshyn is very capable of spinning.   I love the lines “She says she’s mad at God, don’t cooperate at all” and “She orders one for me and says the drinks’ll help my thinkin’.”  Mike has, to mix a musical metaphor, always seemed to me like he’d be the perfect guy to have next to you on a bar stool.  If you bought him a drink, he’d tell you stories that would keep you entertained for hours.  After all, that’s what he does musically anyway.

“Thirty-two” gives Mike a great chance to showcase his vocal gifts.  He infuses his songs with emotion in a similar fashion to the late, great Jerry Garcia, whom I admire immensely because he was always able to reach me with his music. Procyshyn paints us a musical picture in blues, blacks and shades of grey with some reds thrown in for variety.  Setting the stage lyrically, he croons “When she leaned in to kiss me she had thirty-two rubies for teeth.”  How’s that for a mind picture? This is one of the best tracks on the album in my opinion.

“Game Show Host” is yet another slow, waltz-like tune that chugs along with the help of some great guitar work.  The keyboards sound a bit like steel guitar and make for a nice framework to this one.  Mike backs himself up with some higher range vocals and in my estimation bares more than a passing resemblance to Neil Young sound wise.  I got a kick out of the sound effects at the end of the track which sounds like a film projector reaching the end of the reel.  It really adds to the lonesome feel of this track.

If you haven’t had enough of the lost love theme, “More to This” is a welcome inclusion on the album. Once again, Procyshyn plays to his strengths as a song writer.  He weaves a troubling tale of separation, observing hopefully that “There was more to this than just sex and some kisses.”  I love the steel guitar sound on the track although I can’t be 100% sure the instrument was used and it isn’t a keyboard effect.  Whichever is the case, it works for me.

On “Secrets,” the final track of the album, Mike lays out a guitar riff reminiscent of Neil Young’s “Needle and the Damage Done,” but then draws us into a melancholy scenario of his own creation.  Once again, I’m taken with the lyrics, especially the lines “There are secrets in your skin/That I’d like to see again.”  This particular tale seems to deal with the theme of longing with a twinge of regret.  The inclusion of what sounds like steel guitar really seals the deal here, giving the track a beautiful haunting quality.  The overall delivery puts me in mind of the Grateful Dead tune “High Time.” Trust me when I say that is high praise.

To sum things up, The Patron Saint of All Night Diners is a gorgeous, textured CD from an artist who is in the midst of finely honing his craft.  I recommend it highly, especially if you need a little musical salve to ease the pains of the world.  It’s going to be interesting to see where the muse leads Mike in the future, but speaking for myself I can’t wait to hear what he comes up with next.  If you ever meet up with Mike Procyshyn, maybe somewhere in a seedy bar in a small town while he’s out on the road, buy him a drink.  You’ll quickly discover he has a down-to-earth everyman quality about him…and a ton of great stories.  What you likely won’t see immediately is that he has a lot going on underneath that fedora of his.  Believe me when I say that – cerebrally speaking – there’s a lot of action going on beneath that calm surface.

Check out The Patron Saint Of All Night Diners on Bandcamp.

Top Tracks: “I My Laugh a Bit;” “Thirty-two;” “More to This;” “Garden”

Rating: Hunting Call (Excellent) + *swoop*