Wild Rose Country
J Williamson
Posted On July 24, 2017
With its skillful blend of infectious folk-pop and incisive lyrics, Nancy Laberge’s new album When We Were Friends firmly establishes an important new voice in Canadian music.
Many Albertans are already familiar with the Calgary-based singer/songwriter through her past efforts, as well as through being a fixture on the provincial scene. But with this second solo outing, Laberge has made a dramatic leap forward both in her own songwriting style and production approach, leaving little doubt that she’s ready for the national stage.
Coming off her previous album, Write From The Heart, Laberge’s extensive journey in creating When We Were Friends began with the spark of the heart-wrenching title track, a glimpse into her past experiences. As more material accumulated, Laberge teamed up with JUNO and CCMA-award winning producer Mike Little who gathered a top-flight group of musicians to complement the wide range of emotions embedded in each song.
The results range from the instantly ear-catching opener “Meant For You & Me,” to the driving twang of “For Loving Me,” and the stomping and witty “Next Big Thing.” The overall range Laberge displays throughout When We Were Friends suggests that she could fall into any number of current roots music categories, although in the end it contains only one sound, her own.
Like artists with whom she shares stylistic similarities, such as Melissa Etheridge and Mary Gauthier, Laberge maintains that making music is ultimately about baring your soul. That belief stems in part from nearly losing her life at a young age due to a rare illness. Through the support of her local Shriners, she was able to get the necessary surgery performed in Toronto, and since then Laberge has used her music to raise awareness for this important community-based organization.
Laberge also relies on her natural sense of humour with audiences to complement her music’s quest for love and understanding in a hostile world. For every upbeat snapshot of innocence on When We Were Friends such as “Too Good To Be True,” there’s also the bittersweet resignation of “Your Broken Heart.” In the end, there’s no light without darkness and no happiness without pain.
Call Nancy Laberge a late bloomer if you will, but any roots music fan will agree after hearing When We Were Friends that it was well worth the wait.
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/when-we-were-friends/id1166671075
