Here’s a memorable new song from Canadian singer-songwriter Jake Ian. ‘The Bloodshot Sun’ features classic songcraft, a beautiful, fluent piano melody and Ian’s characterful vocal, which is gorgeously warm and intimate. Towards the end, the music is stripped back, directing attention to Ian’s voice, before the harmonica wails with unresolved tension. The Edmonton-based folk singer focuses on the reality of everyday life for the working class characters who populate his songs. In the accompanying video, scenes of the everyday reinforce the authentic intimacy of Ian’s lyrics. There’s a particularly poignant moment at the end when the flowers might be a symbol for the song’s resigned mood.
The song is taken from Ian’s brand new album, ‘Lawrence’, released in 9th January 2024, the follow-up to the low-key ‘Everything Has Holes’. It’s a collection of gentle songs that showcase Jake Ian’s weary, lived-in vocal and compelling, story-telling ability. His songs are the stuff of life: work, love, loss, resilience and finding hope for the downtrodden underdogs of this world. This is music to be lost in, an album to absorb in its entirety. Check it out.
