Review: John Allaire's Great New Record

Alright - I am totally excited about John Allaire's new record being released next week: Up Hill...Both Ways. Not surprising given my previous post on his music. If you live in Ottawa, you'll have no fewer than four chances to hear him live next week: May 21st on my radio show, the Thursday Morning Special Blend on CKCU, after 8:00 a.m., May 21st, 12:30, at Ottawa independent music store Compact Music, May 22 at Club Saw (CD Release Party!) and May 24 at the Blacksheep Inn (with J.P. Ranger - A concert in support of The Weekend to End Breast Cancer). No surprise that Allaire is an Editor's pick in the Ottawa Citizen.

I sure hope we'll hear plenty from this new release. Here are my first impressions: this is a great record. Excellent production, great sound, nice contributions from Tara Holloway and Amanda Rheaume. And a showcase for an evolving singer-songwriter pushing the envelope a bit but also doing what he does best: heartfelt troubadour songs about real people.

Opening track "Highway 105", a reference to the Quebec highway that heads north from Ottawa to Wakefield, Gracefield and Maniwaki, starts out with a woeful harmonica line but then kicks into a beat sounding like a train rolling through the country side - no doubt a reference to the steam train in the song and the one that heads north to Wakefield. With a nice country twang, this opening track sets gets you in the mood for the rest of the record.

The gears shift abruptly with the next track, "Lonesome Fiddle". And what a song - a beautiful story about a working man whose soul is found in playing fiddle at home. With lovely fiddle sounds (courtesy of Nathan Smith), Allaire paints a wonderful picture of one of the many unsung musical heroes amongst us. The best thing about the track is that Allaire is confident to allow his voice carry the theme - a voice sung over moderate and lovely guitar picking, expressing the joy of music: "The sound of the mountains, the vibration from the strings. the caress from his fingers, and the way rosewood sings...."

After these two different tracks, Allaire heads straight into slow rocker territory with "Trails in the Sand", featuring accompanying vocals from awesome Ottawa blues artist Amanda Rheaume. These two have collaborated together before, and the result is magic. And I love the anxious musician reference: "pass the courage between sets". Ottawa natives will note the reference to heading past the Mayfair - a reference to Quinn's Ale House?? Rheaume also sings backup on "Sunday in June", another great country rocker featuring some great slide work. [And Amanda will be on my show on May 28th....] The slow rocker theme continies with "She Walks on Water". There's a great crunchy guitar sound here, reminding me a lot of Crazy Horse. And Allaire does Young to Crazy Horse well.

On of the features of the record is the Pete Seeger-inspired "Swing the Hammer Down", a fantastic duet with Sara Holloway. Featuring an old timy sound with fiddle and banjo, this track is an upbeat, joyful tribute to everyday life - work of course, moving on when you need to, and the simple things. A great refrain and good advice: "Hey, breaking for the light when we swing that hammer down".

"St. Eugene" is one of the standout tracks. A pretty song, featuring a mellow, nice harmonica line. A lot of Allaire's songs are rockier, which can overwhelm his voice. This one showcases it so well - this reminds me a lot of John Prine - in vocal style and lyric - a postcard description of everyday people. "Magnets" is another showcase for Allaire's voice, and it works so well with the mellow guitar picking and slide guitar. A song about love gone bad, Allaire uses unique and compelling metaphors to convey his feelings - hallmarks of a great songwriter. This track features one of my favourite lines on the record: 'And I’ve got steel in the soles of my boots. And you’ve got magnets in the floors'. We've all been there, I'm sure, but Allaire captures that trapped but seemingly free feeling perfectly.

"Candy Apple Killer" is the fun track. First heard on my radio show, this is a foot stomper about about a wild, cash spending good for nothing partner. Allaire has a great sense of humour, and it shines here. Set in an amusement park, this song hits all the high points of this unique feature of North American culture. I love the line about the bingo tent: "She knows the caller's name which is kinda creepy". Save this one for late in the show, John, it'll go really well after a lot of pints.

At this point the record shifts into experimental territory. "The Sonic Properties of Fire" features standard guitar sounds - slide, acoustic strumming, rockier refrains - but the key to the track lies in the contrast: this is a far more serious song lyrically, and finds Allaire using spoken word as much as singing, with a little hip-hop beat. Sounds odd? It works. and the highlight is the echoed vocal: "I hear the sound of you burning books. I feel the heat of the words you took." A standout track for sure.

"What it Takes" is a straightforward rocker with back up from Tara Holloway, and this one should get some radio play. Perfect for a sunny summer day, this is a song about hope, and it's amazing how well Allaire captures these sentiments. But that's what comes from experience - a former member of the Town Criers, Allaire has been writing a long time but, more to the point, observing for a long time.

The last track - "Reels and Breathes" finds Allaire experimenting again. It's as if we've been rocking all night but have retired to a mellow lounge for a nightcap. It works well - soft jazz horns, and the whispered haunting refrain "Ella respira" from Tara Holloway, and echoes on Allaire's singing. And another great metaphor to end the record:
"Meanwhile as I search to find the keycard for my mindThe bellhop takes my thoughts, but he leaves my bags behindThe concierge reminds me that she checked out long agoShe’s the real star, I’m a cameo."

John Allaire is a fantastic singer/songwriter and an even better performer: check him out live if you can and buy the record, some T-shirts - whatever. It's on vinyl too!! After the gigs in Ottawa, John is heading out on a busy tour in the U.S. We look forward to another great performance at the Bluesfest in Ottawa (July 18) and the Blacksheep Inn (Aug. 20). Toronto fans can see him out Aug. 21 at the Tranzac Club. London fans can see him Aug. 22 at the London Music Club.