Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? The biggest victory in the release of Romi Mayes’ sixth album of original material is, of course, that the Winnipeg singer/songwriter has returned to recording after a nine-year hiatus. The smaller victory — for listeners, at least — is that this rootsy, bloozy collection of a dozen new songs picks up right where Mayes left off with 2015’s , adding another volume to her canon and encompassing the depth and breadth of her decades of performing and songwriting experience — everything from achingly open ballads to swinging folk and blues to fire-spitting declarations of defiance. In the tradition of vinyl LPs (her own wax is coming soon), is divided into distinct sides — side A is “Soft,” side B “Heavy” — which enables Mayes and her band of bassist Tom (Twisty) Fodey, drummer Damon Mitchell and guitarist Chris Saywell to ease into proceedings.
Opener is a classic tale of unrequited desire, marked by gently chiming guitars and Mayes’ hushed, tender vocals. is a breezy two-step, and the gentle, loping country of , which features a pair of sweet slide guitar solos from , may be Mayes’ most accomplished love song. is a gentle, acoustic reflection on the choices faced when the light goes out (“The years that they have paved between them always make him stay”), beautifully embellished by the mandoli.
