Greg MacPherson

GMac’s latest (and first for his Disintegration Records label) ranks up there with his best work to date. The disc, recorded sporadically with multiple musicians (including Weakerthans drummer Jason Tait and label mates Cannon Bros) works perfectly as a group of songs together. Opener Party at Greg’s is his most upbeat song yet, while Ukrainians is a story song with that classic strum we expect from Winnipeg’s working man. Frequencies is a frenetic head-nodder, but like every properly balanced disc, Blues has its darker moments in tracks such as Reckless and River.Lake. Not since California (from 2005’s Night Flares) has the listener experienced something so chilling as Lost At Sea, the disc’s epic closer. Watch for this on more than a few “best of” lists in December.

Published in Volume 66, Number 1 of The Uniter (September 2, 2011)

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