Label: unsigned

Producer: James Clark and Garry Flint

Release Date: 2004

At last! Brilliantly written acoustic born alternative pop/rock songs expertly performed with little touches of superbly realized 'Squeeze/Costello/Finn' style production affluence just about sums up this astonishing album from what I consider to be one of Canada's finest and highly individual songwriters. It's what makes review writing and the ever demanding indie artist promotion thing so incredibly worthwhile but it's also something that should make the industry feel a little ashamed of itself for allowing albums like this to escape the notice of the self inclined powers that be!

The astonishment begins with James Clarke's Home again.. an absolute diamond of a song with it's determined semi-melancholic but incredibly clever lyrics. With equally superb vocals and cleverly woven guitars, bass, keyboards, and drums synchronizations, this track is an epic in the grand scheme of things and you can't help wondering if James and the rest of the guys walked away from the final mix suspended in a state of complete and utter euphoria! Crawl and creep contains some truly dreamy guitars and keyboard work that lie in wait for the amazing but inevitably clever lyrics and vocals to help them along on their way. I love it when musicians become unified in their pursuit of perfection.. and they certainly have here!

No one like me is the kind of song you'd want to have playing every time someone winds you up! The wonderment in this instance is brought to you courtesy of some lovely accomplished keyboard work to be joined by some of the most fluorescent guitar playing I've heard in ages. There's no one like me is a fantastic song on a number of colourful levels and on second and subsequent plays, those colours become increasingly vivid.

Bud and Lou on the other hand, contains the kind of songwriting mastery you'd find being rewarded at any sensible awards event. Intensity and personalization in almost every line of the lyrics leaves you so thought-provoked you're not sure what just happened but you are utterly convinced that your listening experience just obtained a huge shower of enlightenment! I love the way the acoustic guitar and vocal separation has been spread out in emphasis. Superb production.. for a truly deserving superb song!

Screwed on right is one of the best written songs I have heard come out of Canada in years. Pay particular attention to the lyrics throughout the entire song... now I know it's hard because of the blindingly brilliant musicianship going on all around them but trust me... you'll be saturated with admiration and appreciation and an overwhelming urge to spend the rest of the day, at least, listening to the song over and over again! What follows in The worst photograph ever taken of me is absolutely astonishing! Watch out for the superb lyrical arrangement and the way 'unpredictability' reigns in the composition as it bends, pokes, and struts across all those little genre borders we have a habit of putting up here and there. James and the Institute have persuaded me, as they will you, that among some of the finest songwriters and musicians we've come to know and love, particularly over the past thirty years, they really do stand tall. I'd love to see the Institute live... the flight from Calgary to Toronto is HOW much????

The album reluctantly ends with the song House for sale, somewhat reminiscent of Squeeze at their absolute best, the song is a truly amazing view of something we've all felt at some point but could never express the sentiments, nostalgias, and introspects in anything like the way James has managed to do... and, in exactly the same way as he has managed to do throughout this magnificent album... he does it with absolute creative insight, creative perception, and inspired intelligence! Now go and do something really sensible this week... buy this album!

 

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