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THE UNAVOIDABLE TRUTH (Maple) • Reid Jamieson
Look out for this cat. He's a break away from launch.
More Toronto talent, sometimes it seems endless. I happened on to this piece of the rock via his engaging and multifaceted manager, Carolyn Victoria Mill--check her out at www.kitchenink.com, she's quite a character. They're downtown Toronto vegetarians immersed in the rich community music scene, a very interesting pair.
Reid is what I picture as the Canadian version of the boy next door, a little bigger, a little less spoiled than our domestic model. Part of that is the unmistakably upbeat tone of his songs, even when they concern love that goes awry or has run its course, or the title track about the inner voices and messages that simply wait for the moment when you are ready to hear them. And when it's not upbeat, it’s hopeful. There is an open-facedness in the lyrics and an unabashedly colorful sense of melody that would sound naïve if it weren't backed up by a irrepressible strength. But it never quits, you hear it in every line.
He's released a few discs to strong Canadian response--first with his pop rock band Alvy, then a solo debut disc (Cowlick Bravado) in 2001, an EP called The Noise in My Chest in 2003, and this one, which could and should well push him a lot higher on the horizon. He has good co-writers in producer Josh Finlayson and Carolyn V. Mill, but penned a handful himself.
We like the sound that bassist/producer Finlayson and engineer Lewis Melville get with The Toques at Sound Emporium in Guelph, Ontario. Everybody's wearing caps in the studio pictures, so I guess the heating may leave a little bit to be desired, but the tones are warm and the spirit in the tracks is very high.
The artist is a truly superior melodist, in the small camp of credibly pop singer songwriters, rendered here more in the country influenced Americana/Triple A vein with great players and guests like Bob Egan from Blue Rodeo and singers like Sarah Harmer. Reid Jamieson has got the goods to do something big, if the chips fall favorably, and he's got a sharp team behind him. Check out the clips of this classic crooner on the Listen page, and buy The Unavoidable Truth, here. • FG
return to covers listen to clips
reidjamieson.com maplemusic.com
