Toronto-based Fletcher has a smaller combo behind him than when he
was Jon-Rae & The River. The spiritual foundation still resonates,
with an angel and a demon whispering in each ear in the face of dark
impulses. The BC preacher’s son has a reputation for rocking like an
evangelist while straddling this divide. “The Story” packs the dreary
country-versus-evil-city debate into a crisp 70-second number. Kathryn
Calder (Immaculate Machine)’s parlour piano and Denver Rawson’s amiable
trombone fill out the sound. The sincere horniness of the River songs
have given way to moral quandaries, with enough quiet for
revelation.
This article appears in Mar 12-18, 2009.