The current wave of Americana often leans toward the indie rock sector, and don't get me wrong, I am loving it. However Colorado's Larry Lacerte leans the other way heading into traditional folk and deep hues of blues. His latest album is On To The North is a charming mix of quaint and fresh sounding songs that are breezy and grounded. He explores the full range of the unique sound he has cultivated and it came together beautifully.
I immediately feel in love with Lacerte's playful and unpredictable song structure. While Lacerte has traditional leanings, at his core he is undoubtedly a modern musician with a fresh sound. He is also a fully ranged vocalist who can come off as very earnest and folkish or much more subversive and punk. He also plays well with others as you'll see there is added vocal help on the album which was equally as enjoyable. Again, with his vocal performances, there is that level of play and range. There are a lot of fluid pieces to this puzzle and it took careful considering to assemble this album. Lacerte employed the tactic of letting the tone of the album evolve organically. We start in a very rural place and ends in a place that is much more populated to say the least. It's an interesting transition that somehow runs very smooth. On To The North is a studio album done in Denver, Colorado at CCM Studios. I really loved what was done in terms of production for this album. You have to be someone who is nimble or flexible when it comes to finding a cohesive thread among all of Lacerte's moods. The mixing and mastering was so intuitive to the fluidity and yet, that cohesion was found. I think the production quality is also what will allow this album to be more accessible and cast a wider net. Another big player in what makes this album a winner or me is the lyrics. As a writer, Lacerte is able to do a lot with singular and seemingly extraordinary moments and find the magic within them. He's observant and curious. It translates very well into solid narratives. It's interesting, I could see different sections of this album appealing to very different audiences if the songs were split up. However, in its entirety, I think it has potential to bridge gaps. With any review I do I always take into consideration who would be interesting in what I'm reviewing. In this case, I'm gonna go wide and call out to the indie rock, math rock, folk and blues communities. There are so many hidden gems in here, I cannot stress the importance of listening to it in its entirety. Not just to find what hits your buzzer, but also to hear the evolution that takes place. This is well done and above everything, unforeseen.
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