Courtney Smith’s new release, ‘Turn Left Fifteen Years Ago’, marks itself as a solid debut album, providing an experience as full of wistful melancholy as the title implies. Featuring a heavily acoustic-driven folk basis throughout, Smith is able to capture a consistent sound while still toying with it enough to keep each track unique and the album free of repetition. From the slow-paced depression of ‘A Folk Song’ to the upbeat, rolling tempo and panoramic poetry of ‘Senses’, Smith’s melodies are pleasant to the ear yet evocative in both content and sound of a life spent drifting and doubting. Continue reading New Music: Courtney Smith’s ‘Turn Left Fifteen Years Ago’
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New Music: Duane Andrews’ ‘Conception Bay’
Guitar virtuoso Duane Andrews’ new album, ‘Conception Bay’, is an ambitious undertaking, pairing Andrews’ jazz-influenced guitar with a string quartet and pulling from a spectrum of jazz, classical arrangements, and traditional Newfoundland folk music. Going into the album with just this description, you might expect it to be full of overwrought, difficult songs that are impossible to enjoy without a passion for all three genres. Legitimate fear though it may be, anyone familiar with Andrews’ previous masterful takes at blended-genre records already knows that he is more than capable of meeting the challenges, and as such, ‘Conception Bay’ is accessible and enjoyable for any music lover willing to listen. Continue reading New Music: Duane Andrews’ ‘Conception Bay’