A few months ago, Craig over @ songsillinois.net started a 'finger pointing, pass the buck session' amongst a few Canadian bloggers that enjoy the roots music. "Sure, I might have missed out on Cam Penner, but so did X, Y and Z! And they live closer to him!"

Since that time, it's been nice to see Cam's record - Trouble & Mercy (review) - show up on some best of lists and really shine a light on the amazing Alberta roots/country scene, but more importantly it's made me recalibrate my daily searches to include significantly more Albertans. Specifically - fearing another scolding - whenever I get a request from Calgary, I scan the details like an old fashioned detective, complete with magnifying glass, pipe and oddly constructed hat.

The latest artist to cross my path is PEI transplant and Calgary resident, Scott MacLeod. A seasoned story teller and song writer, Old Soul may only be Scott's second full length, but it takes on the aura of a veteran musician that is completely comfortable with his style and sound, and plays music with his friends because it's all he's ever wanted. MacLeod is lucky enough to have some extremely talented friends - Lorrie Matheson produced and played on the record, as did Cam Penner and Brooke Wylie (and many others) - but he manages to fuse the unique collection of voices and textures into a seamless tapestry without losing control of the songs.

Old Soul, like the title indicates, takes the listener back to simpler times. Whether it's the vivid image we all have of coal mines, the romantic feel of watching the world fly by your window on a long train trip or painful memories his family past down of the 1940's flood, MacLeod's voice is like an aural time machine. Remarkably though, he doesn't let the burden of nostalgia drag down the listener, often adding bursts of electric (Grain Elevators, Standing Still), group sing-alongs (on the terrific Drank the Ocean Dry and the fun closer Day by Day), beautiful harmonies or effortless shifts from full band arrangements to more stripped down confessionals.

MacLeod is never going to be a name that dominates the blog world - right now there is exactly 0 posts on hypem.com with featuring his music - or find a home among the blindly loyal country fans that simply want to sing along to country pop anthems, but he's a roots artist that will still be writing songs long after the popular sound stops including lap steel. Gritty songs like Let You Down fit nicely alongside more traditional numbers and show that MacLeod can write albums that fit your mood, whether it's simply for a casual listen, a tear-in-your -beer evening after love runs you over once again or when you and your friends just want to hoist some drinks and laugh.

MP3:: Scott MacLeod - Drank the Ocean Dry
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/scottmacleod
WEB:: http://www.scottmacleod.ca/

Labels: Alberta, Calgary, Cam Penner, Reviews, Roots, Scott MacLeod

I absolutely hate it when super blogger Craig Bonnell beats us to the punch on little known roots artists living in the Great White North. Not because he doesn't constantly offer up DIY gems for his readers, but because I like to think we have our finger on the (Canadian) pulse here at the Hill when it comes to an incredible talent like Manitoba's Cam Penner, well, we should have been in the know.

Cam's new record, Trouble & Mercy is devastating. The songs were written on a six month tour across North America and explore the differences between rich and poor, life on the road, love, lust and loss. These songs are the type born in in hotel rooms and grubby couches when the heartache and home sickness of being on the road for months finally wins out over wanderlust. The type of songs when emotions and thoughts float to the surface and surge through your body uncontrollably.

Remarkably even as he delves into these heartfelt emotions, Cam keeps a steady hand on Trouble & Mercy and when you think he might have hit rock bottom, you still get the impression that he knows life will get better. You can hear his heart break countless times on this record, but his need to keep fighting challenges any regret or pity you might feel and really pushes this record along and keeps you listening.

The album opener, All Of, showcases Penner's determined nature. Without shame, he admits he's willing to do whatever it takes to get back to his lover. The beautiful banjo and harmonies thicken the song, but make no mistake, All Of is one man's painful journey. Penner follows with the powerful 13, a tale of a convicted man that uses electric guitar and ominous steel to haunt your thoughts. The echoes of his picked notes and steel the band throws in on If You Love Somebody does the same.

Throughout this 11-song gem, Penner proves he's a fantastic song writer, formidable story teller (Once as a Soldier) and does all of this without trying to spin clever phrases or relying on pretentious word play. Penner speaks to the people as one of us. At one point, that's what we expected from folk artists, but somehow lately it's changed. Today, coffee shop strummers sing about their own life, unconcerned whether or not you can relate. For Cam, each and every lyric comes from the bottom of his heart, but it could be about any of us. If you can't relate to a song like Tired of this Town you've either lived a charmed life or you haven't lived at all.

Cam Penner - 13


Cam Penner - Hour of Need

MP3:: Cam Penner - 13
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/thegravelroad
WEB:: http://www.campenner.com/

Labels: Best-of '09, Cam Penner, Canada, Music, Reviews