Canadian singer-songwriter finds a new band, and looks back to move forward.
The eponymously titled album by Jason Haywood and his new backing band the Goldrush marks a transition from his work with previous band the Divorcees, where he made country and Americana music. Although Americana UK praised their last album ‘Folklore’ (2017) as “a superb album with a willingness to confront the limitations of style while remaining anchored to roots in a very pleasing way”, Haywood stated that he “needed a break from that type of music for a long while”. Instead, he has returned to the music that first inspired him, that which came from the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, tracking from the Beatles to Dylan and onto Tom Petty and beyond.
It is instantly apparent that the music here has a lighter touch and feel than ‘Folklore’; there are some really lovely arrangements which seem rooted in the era Haywood references.
‘Revolving Door’, for example showcases the kind of soaring slide guitar that George Harrison utilised to such uplifting effect; ‘Things Have Changed’ twinkles and shines with 12 string arpeggios and harmonic melodies that are Byrds-like in their beauty and movement. ‘Wasting My Time’, meanwhile, is slightly beefier and more muscular in its approach, a little more Lennon than McCartney, with a fantastic little instrumental coda that fades back in, a definite nod to the Fab Four, who used it on more than one occasion.
If his influences are clear, this is not mere pastiche; it is more like Haywood has a palette with which he feels comfortable, and uses his deep understanding of the music to engage the listener in a collection of songs that sound good on first listen and then continues to mellow and mature with each repeat.
A rather beautiful highlight is ‘Slowly Disappear’, a ballad which nonetheless has a pressing rhythm and some lovely fluid lead guitar, with strings being used sparingly to add to the ambience and build within the structure. ‘Solitary Raven’, meanwhile, treads a similarly elegiac line, with a moody backing that has an almost spaghetti western feel to it. It is perhaps the most inward looking track present, where allegory rather than literal description is the order of the day, and is a fine way to close the record.
There is a complete lack of filler, with each song being entirely simpatico with the ones around it; as such, a really rounded listening experience. Any fans of the Beatles, or George Harrison particularly, as well as the Laurel Canyon scene, are likely to find plenty to enjoy here.
