JERRY LEGER : TIME OUT FOR TOMORROW

1. Canvas of Gold
2. Justine
3. That Ain't Here
4. Tell a Lie
5. Read Between the Lines
6. Burchell Lake
7. I Would
8. Survived Like a Stone
9. Corner Light
10. Tomorrow in My Mind

Label : Latent Recordings

Release Date : 2019

Length : 35:43

Review (Written In Music) : Het enkele maanden geleden uitgebrachte Too Broke To Die bundelde Jerry Legers repertoire dat nog sinds het nog tijdens zijn tienerjaren gelanceerde debuut op een reeks langspelers verzeilde. Die alleen in Europa verspreide retrospectieve is geen overbodige luxe. Vooraleer producer Michael Timmins van de Cowboy Junkies zich ontfermde over de singer-songwriter uit Toronto raakte de output niet verder dan een beperkte maar trouwe cult aanhang in Ontario. Geheel onterecht overigens zoals het uit 2014 daterende op Latent Recordings, het label van de Junkies, uitgebrachte Early Riser en de opvolger, de voortreffelijke dubbellaar Nonsense and Heartache feilloos aantonen. Time Out For Tomorrow is weerom gevuld met intelligent opgebouwde tracks, in een sobere maar efficiënte productie van Timmins met slechts sporadische inbreng van piano en orgelwerk van gastmuzikanten. De hechte samenwerking met The Situation waarbij veelzijdig snarenman James McKie het gitaarwerk van Leger ondersteund, samen met Dan Mock en Kyle Sullivan die de vertrouwde ritmetandem vormen, creëert een ideale rootsrock sound voor songwerk dat naar poprock lonkt maar met in een scherp verhalende context bij klassiek werk van de betere rockpop songwriters aansluit. "Everything was almost decided when we were young/ You'll stay poor like your family before/And I'll keep hustling/On the backroads and in the cities I sang for me." Het is de eerste strofe van de op jengelende gitaren passerende opener Canvas Of Cold , een vroeg hoogtepunt. Leger maakt er geen geheim van dat hij graag in zijn vinyl collectie grasduint. Tijdens de opnamesessies lag naast The Imposibele Bird van Nick Lowe, Lou Reed vaak op de draaitafel. Tijdens zijn tienerjaren ontdekte Leger Coney Island Baby en die langspeler blijft hangen en dat is duidelijk merkbaar bij het op sprankelend snarenwerk gehechte Justine. De sfeervolle opgewekte benadering van Lowe vormt het ideale tegengif voor deprimerende toestanden die wel eens de kop opsteken. Het op twangende gitaartjes walsend I Would komt dicht bij een aanstekelijke popsound die we eveneens bespeuren in de lekker ouderwetse slijper Read Between The Lines, oorspronkelijk gecomponeerd voor het zij project The Del Fi's. Burchell Lake sluit aan bij het uit het uit beginperiode afkomstige Farewell From The Ghosttown, waarop een geïnspireerde avontuurlijke exploratietocht naar schimmige negorijen in Ontario werd vereeuwigd. Derde uitmuntend werkstuk op rij van een tot dusver schromelijk onderschatte klassenbak.

Review (Americana UK) : Smart lyrics: check. Characterful vocals: check. Masterful musicianship: check. Sublime songcraft: check. For many listeners, a Jerry Leger album is the very definition of Americana. Since his 2005 debut, Leger has been hugely prolific while managing a remarkably consistent quality in his output. 'Time Out for Tomorrow' is no exception, finding Leger and his band, The Situation, in fine form. The album is lean, focused and coherent, both musically and thematically. It is more direct than previous releases, such as 'Nonsense and Heartache', and is immediately engaging. Throughout the record, Leger sings of the ephemeral nature of life, dreams, seasons, places, relationships, industry: all things come and go; all things have an ending. Although Leger's lyrics can be obscure, 'Time Out for Tomorrow' is full of poetry, arresting images and narrative details that capture attention. Great care has been taken over the language; as he sings on the first track and single, 'Canvas of Gold': "My head was in the drift smoke // My heart was in the words // Of the poet and the hobo you never heard." As soon as the drums and guitar kick in on the opener, listeners will know that they're in for an authentic-sounding treat. The timeless melody and instrumentation are matched by Leger's socially conscious lines: "Everything was almost decided when we were young // You'll stay poor like your family before // And I'll keep hustling." This is followed by the gently tuneful strum and effective bass in 'Justine'. Leger explores the complexity of relationships through a series of poetic flourishes: "She gave me a lie and made me like it.Oh, the lights from your distant tower.She took my name and put it in her right-side pocket." Leger's gravelly vocal performance on the piano-driven third song, 'That Ain't Here', is gorgeously balanced. This opening trio of songs is an outstanding introduction. Although it's all unmistakably Jerry Leger, there's plenty of variation in tone and pace; from the jangling electric guitars of 'Tell a Lie' or the great rhythms of 'Burchell Lake' to the slower, melodic 'I Would', Leger keeps hooking us in. It's an album full of highlights. In particular, special mention must go to 'Read Between the Lines', on which the tuneful singing, complete with rising, echoing backing vocals, brings to mind '60s pop and rock, and to the hauntingly beautiful 'Survived Like a Stone'. On this, Leger's lovely vocal is buoyed by layers of sumptuous instrumentation: fiddle, autoharp, organ, drums, all masterfully executed. Indeed, the musicianship of The Situation throughout is worth celebrating; particularly noteworthy is Dan Mock on bass, whose excellent work elevates songs like 'Corner Light', along with flourishes of Aaron Comeau's piano. The album was recorded quickly, capturing a focused, direct vibe, and produced by The Cowboy Junkies' Michael Timmins, who brings out the warmth of each instrument. If listeners are long-time Jerry Leger fans, then they can look forward to another strong release full of potential new favourites. If you're new to Leger, then the immediacy of 'Time Out for Tomorrow' makes it an ideal album to absorb and introduce the rest of his work. On 'I Would', Leger sings: "I wish I was a book you were reading // Honest and too tough to put down," and, indeed, it's tough to stop listening.

Review (Music Connection) : This Canadian artist returns with a strong effort that echoes Rolling Thunder-era Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, vintage Springsteen and The Band. Heady comparisons aside, Leger carves a path that stands on its own. His stories are compelling and vivid and his backing by The Situation is diverse and rolls with each thematic tide. Highlights include the legato-infused poetry of "Justine," the awkward break-up song "Between the Lines," the country rocker "Burchell Lake" and the pensive "I Would." Cowboy Junkies' Michael Timmins places Leger's expressive and rustic voice front and center and the overall feel is organic and very live.