Having never seen Jon-Rae & the River play live (and I might be the only muso in TO who hasn’t), I have not experienced the righteous fire that converts all witnesses to slavering adherents of the Church of JR. Good atheist that I am, I regarded it all with a bit of skepticism but still had hopes for this CD as I am in need of uplift, if not salvation, as much as the next sinner. The get-go song off the top, Roll, sneaks up on you like the best kind of party, then kicks into gear with a perfectly timed, “Oh my God!” And then the horns come in! Do I hear “rewind!”? There are other songs too but they’re still in the process of transmuting from generic rockgospel numbers (and there is a formula for that sort of thing) to something more meaningful. Or at least celebratory. Consider me a convert. (Terence Dick)
CD, Baudelaire, www.baudelairelabel.com www.theriversings.com