Comparisons with classic and contemporary Canadian
singer-songwriters are bound to be forthcoming, but there’s a comparable voice
simmering under the surface in the guise of Zac Brown delivering his stripped
down material. This jumped straight at me in the exceptional opening track ‘The Ghost of Him’ as Trevor announces
his arrival with a confident number while opening his heart in a plea. This
song also contains the album’s title buried in the superb lyrics ‘comfort in
the shadow, perish in the light'.
Following this track would be a tough ask but the next three
at least rival it in the quality stakes. The harmonica intro to ‘Long Way Home’ gives it a folk-blues
feel which leads into a damn good rockin’ tune topped with one of the album’s
many strong chorus parts. If you want the most prominent country focus to the
record then the delightful ‘Out of Sight/Out
of Mind’ will deliver as the fiddle and steel kicks in on a number that wouldn’t
be out of place on a George Strait record. The narrative of loneliness, lifelong
reflection and a memory perspective, all
fall in line with the lyrical quality that makes country music a marvellous
storytelling genre.
Track four sees no reduction in quality and impact as the
album’s solitary collaboration appears. Fellow Canadian Catherine MacLellan is
the ideal choice to sing a duet with and the record’s chief promotional track ‘My Sweet Rosetta’ unfolds as a haunting
folk delicacy. Although an original solo write, like the entire album, there is
a traditional feel to this song.
Violin on this, and
several other tracks, comes courtesy of Miranda Mulholland and this rolls out
as the instrument highlight alongside Bob Egan’s pedal steel and the variety of
keys from Jesse O’Brien. The detected sound of the latter’s organ adds a
soulful tinge to the ballad ‘Wasted Ways’,
a song guilty for the album’s standout line ‘and the whiskey is just not doing
what it has been told’. Serious song writing is maintained in the determined
waltz-like message number ‘I’ll Be Who I
Am’ and further immensely catchy chorus’ can be found in the alt-country
style rocker ‘You Don’t Write Anymore’ and
the fiddle led regret piece ‘Wasting My
Time With You’.
A fairly low key but far from undistinguished closer exists
in ‘If I'd Stayed in School’, perhaps
slightly overshadowed by its big hitting predecessors. The remaining track sits
neatly in the album’s heart and the full band impact exists in the toe tapping
rockin’ roller ‘Flash Flood’. The
tempo of this tune reflects the record’s undulating sound, demonstrating its
architect as the master of a range of differently paced songs.
From the listener’s perspective, PERISH IN THIS LIGHT comes
across as a therapeutic release with its slick makeover capable of turning many
heads. Nights might be drawing in, but Trevor Alguire has a definite spring in
his step. This articulate songwriter might be a dream chaser, poetic pursuer
and playing life’s chance game with his work, but his message is clearly
understood and he is proudly in the possession of an album that is equipped to
move his career forward.
www.trevoralguire.com