Anybody who has seen Terra Lightfoot play knows she can rock the joint. To enhance her case as a multi-dimensional musician take a trawl through the delights of her latest album and a high calibre performer strides the stage in full rock 'n' soul mode, not forgetting the occasional dip into country and a light touch of the blues. CONSIDER THE SPEED is an album that matures throughout its span, instantly hitting its tracks with the sultry rockin' blues number 'Called Out Your Name' before finally calling it a night in the mellow haze of 'Two Wild Horses'.
From a personal perspective, I don't mind a roots rocker hitting it hard on stage as long as they show a slice of cultured panache when you access their music in a more individual setting. Lightfoot plants her significant Canadian presence right into the heart of this territory dishing out a product ripe for fruitful listening.
Prior to this latest record, Lightfoot, who hails from Hamilton Ontario, is the proud owner of three other studio albums and a prestigious Juno nomination. The latter, an important accolade on the pages of Canadian music and a pinnacle for recognition within the wider industry. She was primarily introduced to UK audiences via the Maverick Festival, playing a headline slot on her most recent visit and due back again in 2020 until the world's axis shifted. She was last caught in a UK setting when appearing in one of the Green Note's online in-the-round gigs. Ok, it was only a virtual environment in the midst of a pandemic, but even disarmed with only an acoustic guitar to boot there were glimpses that the upcoming album was going to be special.
There are numerous solid songs vying for that crowning album moment, and not only confined to the numbers lined up as promotional pieces. 'Empty House' is one of the lesser profile tracks that catches the ear and is reminiscent of another imperious Canadian folk rocker in Kathleen Edwards. 'Ramblin' Rose' and 'Lost You Forever' have a softer appeal and contain hints of both country and soul if you twist your listening antennae in different directions. 'Midnight Choir' and the title track 'Consider the Speed' head the line of the more upbeat tracks, matching up favourably against the two pre-released songs - 'Love You So' and 'Paper Thin Walls'.
Not only is Terra Lightfoot a peerless performer, she is also a first rate songwriter and is the sole composer of all eleven tracks that form this album. The tried and tested world of the break up features prominently in the early stages and right across the record, space is afforded for the lyrics to compete with a sound that does have its voluminous moments. Yet in the album's climactic realm the mood remains refrained with brass moving into the foreground on the Memphis-inspired 'One High Note' before we end on the aforementioned seductive closer, reaffirming its mellow haze.
CONSIDER THE SPEED sees Terra Lightfoot move into a very accomplished position of dealing a classy album rich in all the spices that make an inviting roots rockin' soulful bluesy record. I'm even going to dust down the old phrase 'Canadiana' as we have a release open to rival anything that our esteemed cousins south of the border in the Americana environment can rustle up. Stirring stuff indeed.