Fellow songwriters like Ron Sexsmith keep praising this fellow and he lives up to it on this double CD. He is at least an acquired taste as a singer. The lyrics should enable a shift in perception about that. If “Autumn Leaves” make you blue, know “there’s a summer sun inside” them. “Evil and stupidity make fabulous bed-mates” in the Dylanesque rant “Lucky For You.” The second disc consists largely of fables for the jaded that end abruptly, though the innocent are given a fighting chance. By the time this Toronto troubadour has vented his spleen and told his tales, ability to carry a tune could be considered a frill.
This article appears in Nov 29 – Dec 5, 2012.