Almost three years on from his most recent album outing, Jake Ian returns to the LP realm to serve another portion of road crafted material capturing the essence of the meaningful song. From the substance of its nine-song content, LAWRENCE quietly proceeds to navigate a rugged terrain never swaying from an articulate listening zone. The contrasting darkish shades from the cover infiltrate the sound in places as once again music soaked in connective quality succinctly translates from the northern Alberta back roads to switched-on ears in far off lands.
The album kicks off with Ian in whispering mode to deliver a song draped in seemingly personal trappings poignantly titled 'Past My Prime'. A warm and gentle start promises rich pickings to follow. A gilt edged gem to lift the record into the sphere of the empathetically tuned-in resides in the number two slot where 'Engine 44' shimmers with solid hooks and a driving rhythm. An early playlist candidate jumps out to folk and Americana minds piqued by such offerings, especially one with some aspect of road trip connotation. The opening trio is completed by 'Such a Sight to See' where the tempo slackens to a waltz-like motion with a touch of mournful violin toning the veneer.
Proceedings get a little darker with the vibes easing out of 'The Sounds of the Wind' as Ian keep things ticking with powerful tidy sub-four minute packages. Another defining moment of impact comes in the opening bars to 'The Bloodshot Sun'. You feel in the presence of a well-trodden genre-sound that seamlessly transcends a deluge of songs. The track roles out to meet approval incorporating a delightful coupling of harmonica and piano. Ian's vocals and gritty identity are embedded by the time we reach the twang-laced 'It's About Time'.
The peaks on this album are strategically planted in every other track with 'Big Jack' carrying an increase in tenacity and a memorable chorus willing on the unlikely subject. Like the methods of effective songwriters, active listeners are invited to dissect the meaning as Ian sharpens his writing style. 'Thief River Falls' sees sweeping imagery come across in a moderately spun story song with a bout of steel detected as a new introduction to the instrumental line up. A successful trait sees the song bind the vision of the writer and the listener's mind. We end deep in a Canadian winter with 'Lawrence' using violin delicately to paint a picture of a slow way of life. Implied cold lyrics heat up with an artist's warm and affable delivery style.
LAWRENCE is a carefully curated gift. Nothing appears rushed as Jake Ian implicitly ties his personal approach to song writing in an accessible bundle labelled - 'rambling musings of a Canadian troubadour'. A lightly polished diamond never losing sight of what makes the listening experience tick.
