The title song from Norine’s most recent album is rich with Canadian lore but don't let that put you off! This song inspired by the life and times of a Two Spirit Ktunaxa Warrior Woman, has a very modern sound - featuring richly layered guitar work by Adam Popowitz and of course Norine’s always reassuring and beautiful voice. As we hear it, the song tells the story of early exploration and reflects the beauty of the sacred land and as we listened we were transported into Norine's painterly landscape. Gone To The Spirits has a dreamy etherial quality that befits the title. We’ve been Norine fans for quite a while and with her new Album we are once again reminded why. 

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Eva’s 2015 album Songs for a Ladies' Man harkens back to the era of sophisticated jazz standards - think Nat King Cole and Sarah Vaughan. However what separates Eva from many contemporary Jazz singers is that she is not just covering the standards, she is writing new songs that sound like they came straight out of the Great American Song book. Which brings us to the tune we played: Never Touched The Ground. This sultry torch song is melancholy and optimistic at the same time and should be easily accessible to anyone who has lost faith in romance only to find it again when they least expect it. The only tell that we aren’t listening to a cover of some rarified standard that we haven't heard before is that the lyrics are more complex than the average jazz standard - less Sammy Cahn and more Leonard Cohen. Give Eva a chance and you’ll “take a leap and keep on flying!” 

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This very catchy tune opens with a tasty a capella version of the pre chorus then gets rolling along courtesy of some groovy B3 sounds. The drums are subtle but appropriate for the song. The bass is doing what the bass should do, driving the song forward with competence and confidence. If you listen closely there's some tasty little guitar licks in there - nothing showy, just some pleasing guitar work that suits the song. I really like the friendly encouragement of the vocal that kind of invites you into the song. These aren't heavy lyrics but it has an overall positive outlook. This song plays out like one friend consoling - maybe not so much consoling but prodding another to look forward. I get the impression someone here has gone through a bit of a rough time and the other guy is saying don't worry about it, it's going to get better - snap out of it! If I was lonely siting on my couch feeling sorry for myself this would be a good song for me to listen to! It’s not so easy to write an unabashedly positive song that's uplifting and genuine but I think Long Road accomplishes just that.

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I was driving the other day and this melody comes in my head and I'm humming along and I realize it's If I Were A Single Girl Again by Simon Felton, a song that I've only heard about 4 times; now that’s definitely the sign of a good tune. This song starts with some simple but lovely interplay between the guitar and the piano that creates a nice melancholy mood. The strings and harmonies are lush but understated and the percussion sits in the back supporting the structure of the song. I also appreciated the way he used the synthesizer percussively as a way to propel the song forward, I’ve missed that in recent years so it was really nice to hear that used effectively again. Together the music makes a nice little nest for Simon’s voice which is the real focus of this intimate production. The vocal performance has a beautiful yearning quality that complements the lyrics. There are some clever lyrics with little twists on common domestic complaints that will be familiar to anyone that has chilled their romance with the realities of cohabitation. So where is he taking us with this song? Is he writing from the female perspective, or is this his perspective of a relationship that he's in and he’s projecting these thoughts - imagining this is what she’s experiencing? Either way it's an interesting listen. To me part of the charm of this song was it’s ambiguity. I really enjoyed the male perspective on a female experience. This is one of those songs songs that I think I'm going to get more from as time goes on.

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This song starts out with a pounding rhythm then takes off in a whole different direction and landing us in what sounds like a psychedelic circus. On first listen I thought this song didn't have a lot of structure going on because it has kind of a random character, but actually quite a complex song when you get right down to it - it just doesn't feel that way. It feels like a leaf in the wind. I don't think there's any deep subject here but it has a ton of originality and attitude along with good solid musicianship. I think the vocal is perfect for this song and the melody is really interesting, I also enjoyed the the wah-wah pedal work on the guitar and the full B3 organ sounds. Does the song make it's point? I think it does but the point is more of a call to escape into your imagination. I don't know if there's any sort of relationship overtones but some lines that make me think maybe there might be, but it's left unclear. It’s really more of a romp - like jumping down the rabbit hole or "disappearing into a puff of blue smoke”. Let’s face it I’m a sucker for this kind of retro-psychedelic sound. If this song was a person I'd want to hang out with them because they’d be lots fun, I was engaged and entertained by the attitude of this very interesting song. I’ll be listening to this one again!

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