Ian North – everything is incomplete
While the production sounds a little lo-fi the lyrics are fairly intense & the jazzy guitar that supports the light melody all adds up to an attractive listen. North does not economize his showcase instead he weaves some delicate music through some of his 3-syllable lyrics. The lead-off track “Tumbledown,” is good because it doesn’t sound like anything you would hear today on commercial radio, yet it has that appeal.
There is a little touch of avant-garde structure & some surrealism but it works well among the incipient coolness that Van Morrison would bring to his more cohesive early period. “China Moon” has this distinguished sound.
Yet, at the same time, North’s word trickery is similar to the obscure (here, in America, but not in Italy) Indiana singer-songwriter Dirk Hamilton. Dirk used to twist words around into ambitious creative lines (“You Can Sing On the Right, Or Bark On the Left”). Hamilton has done this successfully since 1976 so he must be connecting with someone…that someone will love Ian North (vocals/guitars/lap steel) as well.
Produced by Chris Gartner (bass/keys/programming/add’l vocals) & Ian there are 12 acoustic pop/jazzy folk polished tunes on everything is incomplete (Dropped August 4/Independent/50:32). Ian, a Canadian is an award-winning artist who had taken a long hiatus but managed to sculpt this 3rd studio LP & take his place beside Hamilton, Morrison, Neil Young, Bruce Cockburn, David Gray & artists who always color outside of the margins.
Some songs even take side trips into areas where you might find late-career Sting. The steady beat & flirtation with a jazzy-world music approach rears its head in “Dream of Eden” which could also be a futuristic bend on Steely Dan or China Crisis. However, this is close to the work shaped by The Blue Nile with its atmospheric & moody blends. Very much so.
This is sophisticated stuff & though you could dance to it, it’s not dance music per se. It’s for listening…and listening again. The subtle sounds will not all be captured by the ear on a first pass. It’s not that it’s intricate, it just has so much sustenance. Maybe a little more prominent bass in places & would fill out the spirit of each piece. As far as the material & performance – a class act.
Highlights – “Tumbledown,” “China Moon,” “Dream of Eden,” “We Build Houses,” “Everything Is Incomplete,” “Landscape Architect,” “Spider’s Web” & “Sonny Rollins Said.”
Musicians – Lori Cullen (add’l vocals on 2 tracks) & Ernie Tollar (soprano sax on “Sonny Rollins Said”).
Two tracks were co-produced with John Stuart Campbell. Included a nice stitched 16pp lyric insert. B&W image courtesy of Ian’s website. CD @ https://www.iannorthmusic.com/
