Ever have one of those artists that you always like their music, even if you don’t listen to them a lot, and then they put out a particular release and it makes you exclaim, “Man, this is is phenomenal!”
For me, that is Greg MacPherson and his new record Disintegration Blues.
For a long time, I meant to check out Greg MacPherson. I knew him as the guy originally from Cape Breton who was signed to G7 Welcoming Committee, the same label as a band I love, the Weakerthans. I also knew he had a song called The Company Store. I picked up Night Flares and Maintenance and liked them, but really didn’t listen to them as much as I should have.
When Mr. Invitation came out, I picked it up on iTunes, propelled by the very catchy track “First Class.” The rest of the record was really good. And he ended up on the long list for the Polaris Prize.
Then, I got to interview him and he was a really gracious, interesting and nice guy. I really enjoyed our talk, that really turned me into a fan of his.
So last week, I finally got around to acquiring his latest record, Disintegration Blues, from iTunes. I say finally because, while it hasn’t been officially released in Canada yet – that happens Sept. 6 – it came out in Europe earlier this year and it is available for purchase online as a digital download. It is pretty amazing. Good songwriting, passionate singing, strong musicianship. It is, quite frankly, my favourite album to come out in 2011. And if Mr. Invitation made the Polaris Prize long list, it would be a crime for Disintegration Blues not to do the same. I really hope it gets from love from critics when it gets released.
When I interviewed him, he said his next record would be a bit more singer-songwriter than the indie rock of Mr. Invitation. One of the best examples is the second cut on the record, “Ukranians,” about immigrants who make their way to Canada.
Video of Greg MacPherson performing “Ukranians” during a recent show at The Upstairs, in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
What’s even more remarkable about how great the material that Greg MacPherson puts out pretty prolifically is the fact that in addition to being a serious musician he holds down a full-time job with a neighbourhood renewal agency in inner-city Winnipeg. A lot of the content of his lyrics reflect where he’s from, with references to steel plants, people struggling to survive in one way or another.
And he has a fabulous, rich voice.
Best song on the record.
