[.ca] Ongiara

From Amazon.com:
There is a hushed grace to each Great Lake Swimmers release, a wonderfully fragile quality--a la Bonnie Prince Billy or Songs: Ohia--that is responsible for their devoted, near-religious fan base. While Great Lake Swimmers have been slowly building excitement with their previous two releases, Ongiara is truly on a whole other level, deserving to move them from buzz-worthy to legendary. Singer/songwriter Tony Dekker and company hit all the magical marks on this disc; the fragility is palpable, yet the primarily acoustic, bluegrass-affected instrumentation (from guitar to banjo to upright bass) is meaty enough to make every track feel lush and full. The list of guest performers is equally noteworthy, from Sarah Harmer's understated vocals on disc closer "I Became Awake," to the gorgeous string contributions of Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy, Arcade Fire) on the aching track "Where in the World Are You." Hearing Dekker half-whisper "when the wind takes you/it takes me too" in "Changing Colours" (a song equating the individual growth of two people in a dying romance with the change in seasons) is quite literally the sound of musical perfection. In fact, much of this CD gets better with each listen, and there's no better testimony than that. --Denise Sheppard

Another Masterpiece:
For one reason or another, I've made a habit of only writing reviews for albums which I absolutely love from the first listen. And so here I am again, completely and utterly in love with another masterpiece. "Ongiara" is the third release from Great Lake Swimmers, probably the most underrated band from this beautiful country of mine. And this album, in my opinion, is their best work to date. Now in order to be fair, I feel obliged to make a comment about the beauty of the other two albums as well (especially "Bodies And Minds") since many others, including some of my own friends, consider "Bodies And Minds" to be GLS' pinnacle work to date. First thing, do not be mistaken, this is pure folk music, in its most vulnerable form, and that's what makes it so tantalizing. The music is serene, very simple, but masterfully written, and extremely catchy. Tony Decker's voice is very pleasantly unique, and the vocals laid down on this album are flawless. All 10 tracks are strong, with my personal favourites: Backstage With Modern Dancers Your rocky spine (an ode to Canada) There is a light Passenger song I became awake Oh, and by the way, do yourself a favour and attend one of GLS' live shows and listen to this band perform live! Trust me on this one! I was lucky enough to be one of a couple of hundred people at Church of The Redeemer in Toronto on April 14th to watch this band perform the entire "Ongiara" album live on stage. And, a big thanks to my buddy Pete for introducing me to GLS!

transcendent stuff!!:
Excellent roots music in the tradition of The Band, etc. This disc is one of the rare recordings that transcends musical boundaries; excellent music and artistry - period!

More fantastic Canadian talent!:
I first heard GLS on a CBC Radio One program in August 2007 and immediately ordered a copy of Ongiara. I love listening to these folky, mellow tunes and have since purchased the band's previous albums - Great Lake Swimmers and Bodies and Minds - both of which are of similar style and talent to Ongiara. So if you like this album, I certainly recommend the others, and if you have yet to experience the GLS, I hope you give them a listen!

• Your Rocky Spine
• Backstage with the Modern Dancers
• Catcher Son
• Changing Colours
• There Is a Light
• Put There by the Land
• I Am Part of a Large Family
• Where in the World Are You
• Passenger Song
• I Became Awake