Monday 02 March 2009



To some it comes easy

(photo: Myspace)

(photo: Myspace)

In spite of its name, the new album from Gentleman Reg is anything but Jet Black.  Sleek, yes.  Sexy, yes, surprisingly.  But it’s got far too many colourful touches to carry such a dark sounding moniker.  His first album of new material for new label Arts & Crafts doesn’t stray far from the A&C aesthetic epitomized by the Broken Social Scene, er, scenesters.  As one of the many members of The Hidden Cameras, Reg has technically been a part of the label for some time now, but Jet Black officially welcomes him to the family.

Reg Vermue may be new to American indie music audiences, but he’s well established himself as one of Canada’s finest (if under-appreciated) singer-songwriters of the last decade.  He is of the “musician’s musician” ilk, often garnering praise from contemporaries like Tegan & Sara, Torquil Campbell of Stars, and his good friend and frequent collaborator, Owen “Final Fantasy” Pallett.  If I can draw any distinction between Jet Black and his earlier albums for Three Gut Records (R.I.P.), it’s that the new material comes across as seasoned, the result of being a part of the music treadmill for a few years and having accumulated a fair bit of experience and hindsight.  It’s a very unassuming record, in that it doesn’t hit you over the head the first time you hear it.  Opening track “Coastline” is a jaunty, rollicking track that’s one part bar rock song, two parts indie pop.  My favourite part is the piano solo about two minutes in.  Very gentlemanly, indeed.  “When Heroes Change Professions” didn’t leave an impact until about the third time I heard it, when I could fully appreciate the lush and atmospheric sound.  “Rewind” features guest vocals by Katie Sketch, of the now-defunct The Organ, truly is a masterpiece.  It’s a beautiful number about having no choice but to move forward from your troubles, and seems to echo Vermue’s own life journey.  Five years ago when his band and record label both fell apart around him, his only option was to move ahead into uncharted territory and establish a new normal for himself.  Along  the way, he made a guest appearance in John Cameron Mitchell’s movie Shortbus, found a new home on Arts & Crafts, and released the most fully realized album of his career.  The fact that he makes it all seem so easy is a testament to his talents.

MP3: Gentleman Reg “How We Exit”
Myspace: Gentleman Reg
Buy: Gentleman Reg Jet Black





by J. Di Gioia | Comments Off

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