Call Upon The Author

Listening to the debut release from Lee Harvey Osmond the last place you’d expect them to hail from is Canada. The country tinged folk sound of this record belies their birthplace of Toronto, but just makes it more impressive that they’ve captured the sound of Midwest America so well. The brainchild of Tom Wilson from Blackie & the Rodeo Kings, the band contains a staggering 17 musicians, a collective featuring members of such groups as Cowboy Junkies and Skydiggers.
They put their wide range of knowledge and instrumentation to good use, blending together elements of country, folk, blues, rock, jazz, and pretty much everything else to create a genre they’ve dubbed “acid-folk”. The combination of such a large number of influences may sound like a recipe for disaster, but the sound is far from the over complex mess it could’ve been. Most of the songs have a beautiful simplicity about them, relying on guitar, drums and vocals with additional instrumentation adding subtle layers to the music.
And speaking of vocals, Tom Wilson’s singing on this release is outstanding. Just like the music itself he veers from a gravelly, world weary, country singer to a style almost akin to jazz sometimes within the same song. As with most of this album, it’s in the subtlety and the way the voice is used that makes it so impressive, rather than being forced in your face and trying to show off.
Lucifer’s Blues is the stand out track for me on this album, with a fantastic story-telling style in the verses it conjures up images of drifters in the Wild West. The lyrics may not touch upon that, but their delivery and the music causes the vision to flash in my mind.
That’s not to say that it’s the only track worth hearing on here, being as it is full of gems. I’m Going To Stay That Way, featuring the sublime vocals of Margo Timmins, is another recommend track, taking inspiration from the great country duets of days gone by.
Having been nominated for the Polaris Music Prize this year, hopefully Lee Harvey Osmond will get the attention their music demands. This album deserves to be heard, preferably on a warm summer’s evening as the sun sets. Trust me, the music clicks on a whole other level in the right setting.