Album Reviews: Gord Downie & The Sadies, Bruce Springsteen, Lost & Nameless, The Annie Ford Band

Gord Downie, The Sadies, and the Conquering Sun

The lead singer of one of Canada’s most influential rock bands gets together with one of the best live bands ever for a collaborative effort and the expected results could range anywhere from confusion to straight ahead awesomeness. Thankfully (and not surprisingly, given the players involved) the semi-eponymous result in this case is Gord Downie, The Sadies, and the Conquering Sons and it leans to the awesome side. Sometimes, quite aggressively.

Good Fast Job is an upbeat rocker that sees Downie singing “Never mind the commas / this is one good fast job”. There’s an ironic metaphor in there if you want to find it: the somewhat self titled as was anything but a fast job. The artists have performed together several times over the last  few years  and there’s been talk of the collaboration for almost as long.

Downie is best known as the front man and lyricist of The Tragically Hip, one of the most influential Canadian rock bands of the 80s and 90s but he’s also released three solo albums over the last decade or so. The Sadies are known for killer guitar riffs and have a well earned reputation as one of the best live bands in Canada. The ten co-written songs here should make both artists’ fans happy, even if leaving Downie’s Tragically Hip baggage at the door can be hard for Canadians of a certain age. There’s material here that could fit that band to be sure sure, but songs like The Conquering Sun and the punk influenced It Didn’t Start To Break My Heart Until This feature the unmistakeable Sadies sound of twangy reverb guitar and it’s a refreshing pairing with Downie’s off-kilter lyrics.

Maybe the best thing about the album is the already announced summer tour dates. Downie once famously told CBC Radio’s Jian Ghoemshi that he’d “…rather chew his right arm off than deliver a bad live show” and I once watched The Sadies play for three hours straight in a packed, hot bar. I wouldn’t want to be the band taking the stage after these guys at a festival, but I wouldn’t miss being in the audience. You’d better not either.

Annie Ford Band

“Looking through wayward glass / Thinking ‘about all that’s passsed” Annie Ford sings at the start of the appropriately downtempo Northern Rain. It’s a good general description of the the album of classic sounding country/bluegrass numbers from the artist who now calls Seattle home. Ford’s been playing as a side musician for years, and the the experience shows in the collection of songs that mark Ford’s first release as a band leader. If the lyrics mine familiar territory of relationships and sadness, they do so in unique and interesting ways. Lovesick exchanges the expected slow pedal steel influenced ballad its lyrics might suggest for a fun uptempo toe tapper. Calloused Hands is a highlight of the album, pushing Ford’s beautiful, clear vocals over a sparsely instrumented track. The album demonstrates the wisdom that less can be more and puts the emphasis on song writing rather than flashy musicianship. It’s a good choice.

Ford’s been a fixture at Seattle’s Pike Place market over the last few years, and if you find yourself walking around that fantastic place you may still be lucky enough to hear the sound of her voice wafter over the market crowds. Stop and listen if you do, and make sure you buy a copy of the eponymously titled debut album. Summer’s coming, and you’re sure to enjoy this sitting on your patio while staring into a clear night sky. 

Lost and Nameless, Empty Spaces

Austin, Texas’ Lost & Nameless new EP Empty Spaces enters the fray of “progressive folk” or “modern bluegrass” with a slick, well produced sound that’s stands out from the opening moments of the album’s eponymously titled first track. 

The six songs on the EP make a good case for the foursome’s future: songs like Monsters We Become put the Mandolin out front and showcase the vocal talents of both Patrick Conway and Kimberly Zielnicki. While the band features two fiddle players they show some restraint in the overall sound is well balanced with keyboards, accordion and guitar getting equal footing. The EP’s closing instrumental track Coffee/Lime Rock showcases their musicianship well and leaves the listener wanting more.

Packed with six catchy originals, Empty Spaces shows a promising start to the young musicians’ careers. Well received performances at Folk Alliance and South by Southwest, suggest that Empty Spaces is the start of something good.

Bruce Springsteen – American Beauty

Dude records an album called High Hopes–his 18th studio effort. Dude releases a four song EP on vinyl of the material that didn’t make the cut for the album to celebrate Record Store Day. I haul down to the store to buy it, go home, start up the turntable and remember that just because you sell millions of records doesn’t mean you’re not a great songwriter.

Everyone should write material as good as the things Springsteen decided not to include on his album. This is worth the price for Hey Blue Eyes alone. Treat the other three tracks are just a bonus (though they’re fantastic too.)

I hope I’m this good forty years into my career. Maybe there’s something to this Springsteen guy after all.