Leap days are in-between spaces, and it’s fitting timing for the release of a new album from Canadian folk artist Jon Bryant. Both lyrically and sonically, Twenty Something explores that liminal space between what is known and comfortable and what is in the hazy beyond.
Bryant’s vocals hold a Jeff Buckley-esque power to dredge up buried memories. He wields it with subtlety and grace, conjuring up netherworlds of loss and longing. The beautiful production from Rick Parker (Lord Huron), Alex Newport ( Death Cab for Cutie, City and Colour), and Nygel Asselin (Half Moon Run), augments the storytelling with gently sweeping instrumentation and choir-like interludes. One would be tempted to call it cinematic, except the tasteful restraint has these songs skimming lightly across vast oceans rather than careening wildly into the sun.
Check out the video for “Light,” directed by Caitlin Cronenberg (Vogue, Elle). Preview the tracks from Twenty Something on Soundcloud and purchase on iTunes here.
District Consonance 