Fervor Coulee’s Favourite Roots Albums of 2022

I have no idea how many roots albums I bought, received for review, actually wrote about, listened to through a brief flirtation with a streaming service, and sampled via Polaris Music Prize jury membership, as well as other industry-provided downloads during 2022. But when I review other lists, I see a lot I am familiar…

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Skinny Dyck- Palace Waiting review

Skinny Dyck Palace Waiting Sound Asleep Records While I have quite loved everything Skinny Dyck has done on previous releases, I also appreciate his continued evolution as a country artist. On his Get to Know Lonesome album, one filled with terrific, fairly straight-ahead country tunes, the darkly expressive “Dreamin’” was favoured. Before many of us…

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The Gift coming to Leduc

Coming to Leduc October 13 is The Gift. We moved north from Red Deer just over eleven years ago, and the first concert we attended in Leduc was a great performance from one of my favourites, John Wort Hannam. I was so excited to be near the city and able to attend concerts whenever I…

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Rob Heath- Biggest Moments review

Rob Heath Biggest Moments RobHeath.com Edmonton’s Rob Heath has been writing and performing for decades, but Biggest Moments is the first of his recordings to make its way to me. A troubadour, Heath has chosen to have Biggest Moments focus on the kindness humans can reveal to each other, a suitable theme in days when…

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Fervor Coulee’s Favourite Roots Albums of 2021

Years from now, when we consider the best roots albums of 2021, we will have great memories. The second year of COVID allowed artists to release music recorded either prior to the pandemic or that which was created in trying circumstances. It was a year of breakthroughs for many wonderful artists, and even a breakthrough…

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Ben Sures- The Story That Lived Here review

Ben Sures The Story That Lived Here It has been a decade since I last listened to a new Ben Sures album; my fault, not his. Gone to Bolivia was that album, and it was stellar; like each Ron Sexsmith album, it felt like the one that would elevate the Alberta-based folk singer to the…

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Matt Patershuk- An Honest Effort review

Matt Patershuk An Honest Effort Black Hen Music When the Coalition of Alberta Troubadours met last spring to compare pandemic-influenced facial hair, songs, album release plans, and dark liquor, one imagines interesting conversations did unfold. Perhaps Joe Nolan suggested he release his album first, break a bit of heavy trail for the older guys, with…

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Jr. Gone Wild- Still Got the Jacket review

Jr. Gone Wild Still Got the Jacket weewerk/ Stony Plain We were hoping this day would come. When Jr. Gone Wild started to again play gigs sporadically in 2013, many of us became excited at the idea of a second chance. Some of us of a particular age have long admired the Edmonton-based group from…

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John Wort Hannam- Long Haul review

John Wort Hannam Long Haul Black Hen Music Eight albums. Time flies. John Wort Hannam has been on his roots-fueled troubadour journey for most of two decades, spinning songwriting gold from the chaff of the lives he has encountered, both in reality and imagination. From early masterpieces like “Scotsman’s Bluff” and “Pier 21” to his…

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Joe Nolan- Scrapper review

Joe Nolan Scapper Fallen Tree Records Joe Nolan has been banging and busking on the independent circuit for more than a decade, releasing at least six previous albums of increasingly insightful and satisfying troubadoric tuneage. Beginning with dreamy, affectation-laden rock songs with more than a little Cobain & Pirner in his presentation (Pocket Dreams, 2008),…

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