Erin Propp & Larry Roy

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We Want All The Same Things

Chronograph, 2021

9/10

Listen to We Want All The Same Things

The Canadian duo of Erin Propp and Larry Roy return with a sophomore album together, where Propp’s ‘70s spirited vocals and Roy’s guitar acrobatics lay the foundation for the 12 diverse songs that bring in players like Julian Bradford, Ken Gold, and Derrick Gardner, to name a few.

“Each Hidden Joy” starts the listen with much elegance as soothing vocal scatting leads into poetic singing where Rogerio Boccato’s graceful percussion and piano from Will Bonness add much to the warm setting, and “Hello Morning” follows with Roy’s guitar work highlighting the folk influenced climate of sublime beauty.

The middle tracks offers us the timeless jazz qualities of “Recomecar”, where plenty of rhythm is present, while “The Light” displays Propp’s strong vocal range amid plenty of dynamic instrumentation. “So Far Away”, one of the album’s best, then recruits soulful saxophone as a radiant atmosphere enters the gorgeous cover.

Further still, “The Nearness Of You” benefits from subtle brass and bluesy guitar lines in its dreamy, pretty landscape, and “A La Claire Fontaine” exits the listen with singing in French, where intimacy and adventurousness meet at a very sophisticated juncture.

The pair’s 2012 effort, Courage, My Love, landed them a Best Jazz Album Of The Year award and Juno nomination, and I don’t think anyone will be surprised if this one sees a similar fate. Armed with an expressive, powerful and innovative formula, there just isn’t a second here that isn’t absorbing in its execution.

Travels well with: Sarah Jerrom- Dream Logic; Amanda Tosoff- Earth Voices