Lucky
Self-Released, 2021
8/10
The singer-songwriter and guitarist Colin Roy Monette is also a music educator and academic, and, perhaps most importantly for our purposes here, he can write a song you won’t forget anytime soon. A collection of tunes that were recorded in several different places, the 13 tracks of Lucky blend together seamlessly in his timeless vision.
Monette leads the thoughtful album with the strong guitar work of “Go To California”, where his comforting vocals are accented by well timed harmonica and pretty female vocals, and “Honest Man’s Misery” follows with intricate and memorable playing from Monette as a unique brand of Americana unfolds with much soulfulness.
Elsewhere, the dreamy “Faces In The Clouds” recruits a folk influenced climate of much poetic beauty, while the swift “Aurora Borealis Blues” indeeds touches on the blues with no shortage of rhythm as Monette proves just how diverse he is. “Feel Free’, a late album highlight, then flirts with country in its shuffling and playful approach.
Further still, “Hills Of Sage” touches on the breezy elements of the ‘60s with much graceful acoustic strumming alongside meticulous electric guitar, and “Lucky” exits the listen with eloquence and his mesmerizing guitar playing amid an organic formula that is well suited for the log cabin it was recorded in.
Monette occasionally takes help from drums thanks to Greg Schutte and bass from Curt Hovland, but otherwise this is entirely his effort, and his influences from pop, rock, funk, soul, R&B, jazz and gospel, among others, easily holds our attention while stimulating our interest for more.
Travels well with: Neil Jacobson- Silver Park; Cody Lee- Woodpecker Crisis