{"id":642,"date":"2013-10-26T23:07:08","date_gmt":"2013-10-27T04:07:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.robpenfold.com\/?p=642"},"modified":"2013-10-26T23:24:20","modified_gmt":"2013-10-27T04:24:20","slug":"album-review-blue-rodeo-in-our-nature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.robpenfold.com\/?p=642","title":{"rendered":"Album Review: Blue Rodeo – In Our Nature"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"inournature\"
In Our Nature (2013)
Blue Rodeo
Warner Music Canada<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Blue Rodeo’s thirteenth studio album, “In Our Nature” which drops next week (Oct 29) is like your favourite old comfy couch.\u00a0 It is familiar and enjoyable.<\/p>\n

I approached this album with a bit of trepidation.\u00a0 I have been less than thrilled with the band’s output since 2005’s “Are You Ready”.\u00a0 There were times I thought Jim & Greg and either lost their magic touch or were resting on their laurels.\u00a0 Blue Rodeo’s first half dozen albums are amazing and masterpieces in the fabric of Canadian music.\u00a0 It has been a long time since they put out tunes that rival “Rose Coloured Glasses”, “Try”, “Lost Together” or “Trust Yourself”.\u00a0 But in listening to this new disc, I realised that Blue Rodeo is not the band now that they were back in their radio heyday.\u00a0 And that is not a bad thing.\u00a0 They have evolved which given age and numerous line-up changes is inevitable.\u00a0 They are, and always will be, roots-rock Canadiana.\u00a0 It is just now they are more roots and then they were more rock.<\/p>\n

Their albums since “Are You Ready” (inclusive) have been much more laid back and mature.\u00a0 They have found a different groove then their earlier years.\u00a0 So, very much in the vein of the last three albums, “In Our Nature” has a very Canadian down-home relaxed feel that we can all relate to.\u00a0 If it wasn’t the start of the cold winter, I can very much see people enjoying this album on the back porch, watching the sunset and enjoying a beer.\u00a0 Very Canadian and very Blue Rodeo.<\/p>\n

Though Blue Rodeo owns a state-of-the-art studio in Toronto, The Woodshed, they recorded this album at Greg’s farm near Port Hope ON where they recorded the much-loved “Five Days In July”.\u00a0 The other noticeable change this time out is the addition of long-time collaborator, Colin Crips, as the seventh official member of the band.\u00a0 Colin has been touring with BR for the last year and a half as the solution to Greg’s hearing problems.\u00a0 Because of Greg’s sensitivity to loud noises he long longer plays electric guitar so Colin was brought in to fill in on stage and now of the record too.\u00a0 He previously played with the Jim Cuddy Band and replaced Greg in Crash Vegas 20+ years ago.<\/p>\n

At fourteen tracks the album clocks in around sixty minutes which in my books is fantastic!\u00a0 That’s value for your money.\u00a0 Nothing bothers me more than short albums (right Bryan LOL).\u00a0 I won’t go track by track so as not to rob you of the enjoyment of discovery but I will mention a few standouts.\u00a0 “New Morning Sun” is the lead single and in my opinion there are better choices as this song is very formula Jim.\u00a0 It sounds like a lot of other Jim songs.\u00a0 It is like he put the standard pieces together in the standard order to get the job done.\u00a0 Judge for yourself.<\/p>\n