Award-winning musician Lennie Gallant has dropped his newest album in nine years, Time Travel. The Order of Canada recipient uses his unwavering talent to mould notes into contemplative stories and mysterious settings, all of them patiently waiting to be unpacked by listeners.
Despite being his first album in nine years, it wasn’t for a lack of being active. Gallant’s last two live albums have won him a Canadian Folk Music Award, and two East Coast Music Awards, he’s written and produced Searching For Abegweit, a multimedia show which ran for four seasons, he’s toured the United States and Canada, dabbled in screen acting, crafted several soundtracks for film, and produced an album for his nephew’s band, Ten Strings and A Goat Skin.
“It’s been a busy decade, and I hadn’t really realized that it was actually nine whole years since I’d recorded a studio album,” says Gallant. “It won’t be another nine till the next one as we had such a great time making this one… and I have the studio bug again.”
If anything, Time Travel makes up for that absence, and Gallant’s return to the studio showcases what can be accomplished when ideas are given a little extra time to percolate.
The titular opener, “Time Travel,” shows off an experimental evolution of the Prince Edward Island native. Gallant’s expert strumming marries a rather disjointed tempo to create a sort of four-dimensional, distorted universe effect, perfect for a track with such a title.
“Nothing Makes Sense” continues with Gallant’s string/lyrical beauty; an unavoidable aspect of his music. Featuring Jenn Grant and a soul-rumbling percussion, Gallant reflects on the disaster that is our current state of global affairs.
“Selkie”‘s subtle instruments and wondrous backup vocals from Mary Jane Lamond are a treat all their own, but this track undoubtedly has the best story behind it. The track alludes to a Blood Moon-lit night, which leads to the reference of an ancient Celtic myth of the Selkie, a seal creature who transforms into a human on land. What Gallant couldn’t been prepared for, however, was when “Selkie,” originally released as a single, it happened to be released on the same day as the longest blood moon to have taken place this century.
He picks up a more otherworldly theme with “We Want Contact,” reflecting on our desire to meet others like ourselves (meaning aliens), and how they would interact with us.
Meanwhile, “Blood And Salt Water“ uses a more sombre sound to speak on the most wholesome aspects of love, “There’s A Storm Coming” will prove to be relatable to any Maritimer with its charming lyrics involving our unforgiving weather, and “When I Heard You Sing” is the perfect way of showing that all Gallant needs to impress audience is a couple of strings.
“I write about what I’m experiencing, real and imagined, and hope people can relate,” says Gallant. “I hope people get a sense of how little time we have on this tiny planet and how we are merely stewards here, or at least we should be.
I hope it might encourage listeners to reflect on their personal journeys and try to appreciate the sometimes unexpected changes in our lives and the way we must adapt. I try to step back and appreciate the people around me more these days, and I tried to put a bit of that into my songs.
I’m no preacher, and can only relate little bits of my experience, musings, and imagination, but if anyone is moved by elements of that in a positive way, I would be happy about it.
While I’m proud of the live recordings we made over the last few years, there is really nothing to compare with being in a studio session with great musicians and producer and bringing 13 brand new songs to life!,” says Gallant. “There were many magical and welcome moments in the process that I think created a very fresh and unique album. I‘m really happy with the way these songs turned out!”
Lennie Gallant’s Time Travel is available for purchase on iTunes beginning August 31st, 2018. Click here for more details.