Good old country music

16 & 1
Doc Walker
Open Road Records
7.5-out-of-10

Let's face it, few bands in Canadian country can match the success of Doc Walker over the last decade.
This band has been hot, and there is nothing about 16 & 1 which would suggest the band is slowing down in the least.

Hailing from Manitoba, the band knows country, and they do a great job of managing to balance their music between 'real'-sounding lyrics, and today's slightly skewed version of radio friendly country. Hats off for managing that. Most bands are either real country and unknown, or are so into writing for radio it is not country music.

That all said Doc Walker's latest is certainly going to send its share of singles to the radio.

Do It Again is a radio hit in the making. The saxophone work on this one is amazing.

Are You With Me Tonight is also a radio-style tune.

On Never Letting Go Doc Walker slows it downs, and in the process creates the best cut on this 10-song disc.

As the band's sixth disc, there is a maturity here. This is a band that knows its own strengths and plays to them well.

As a follow-up to Go, the band's 2009 release, 16 & 1 is a fine effort that will please established Doc Walker fans, and newcomers who simply like good country music.

Check it out at www.docwalker.ca
- CALVIN DANIELS

IN THE LIGHT
Susan Wylde
Indie
7.5-out-of-10

When I saw In the Light was co-produced by Jack deKeyzer I was immediately intrigued. deKeyzer is among the best in blues in Canada, and an amazing guitarist, so for him to be involved I figured Susan Wylde had to be good.

Well she is good folks.

You are going to love it when she slows things down a bit, like on I Can't Tell New Orleans Goodbye. It is Wylde's heartfelt song for the people of the city nearly lost to the ocean. This is arguably the best cut on the 12-song disk.

That Wylde writes songs to say things which clearly matter to her is her strength.

Lovely Push-up Bra, written for blues great Jeff Healey who died far too young, is another example of writing, and singing from the heart.

Wylde can also sing in sultry too, like on her self-penned Love Me All Night Long.

Vocally, Wylde has a beautifully simple, sweet and effective sound. She doesn't go for the seedy, smokey blues, which her voice would not carry well. She knows her stylistic range, and sticks to it effectively.

While the songs written by Wylde are obviously personal to her, she carries off covers of songs such as Hoagy Carmichael's Georgia On My Mind just as well. Very nicely done. In fact this might be the second best cut on the album.

This is a very solid blues effort by a lady who knows how to carry the tunes.

Check it out at www.susanwylde.com
- CALVIN DANIELS
Past reviews are archived online at http://calmardan.blogspot.com/