STAGGER, LEEROY - Dream It All Away

Heartland rocker LEEROY STAGGER from Canada is an extremely productive and creative musician. A mere year-and-a-half after his much-lauded and award-winning Radiant Land album he surprises us with his next bull's eye-hit. Although the band is not credited on the cover this time around, there's a lot of team spirit on this album. Truth Be Sold is the title of this excellent, his 8th studio oeuvre and a real statement album. It brings us a look back on his earlier, more rock, sometimes even punk approach - through the eyes of the matured songwriter he is now. Truth Be Sold rocks - in music and lyrics. Alt. Country World Punk Music is what Leeroy Stagger calls this mix of eleven convincing tracks - and hits the bull's eye again. Leeroy Stagger has been a member of the Blue Rose family for five years now, first as a member of the ESP trio whose wonderful, mellow album One For The Ditch was a hit in 2008. ESP (aka Easton Stagger Phillips) was a friendly collaboration, a bit of pure, unplanned magic from longtime Blue Rose artist Tim Easton, Whipsaws bandleader Evan Phillips from Alaska, and Leeroy Stagger who had already gained a reputation as a singer/songwriter with a rootsy country-rocking sound with four albums between 2004 and 2007. His Blue Rose debut Everything Is Real in 2009 marked another step forward in terms of professionalism and earned Stagger comparisons to genre greats like Steve Earle, Tom Petty, Paul Westerberg, John Mellencamp, Ryan Adams, Chris Knight or Son Volt's Jay Farrar. This of course didn't stop him from carving out his own CanAmericana/prairie rock niche with generous helpings of classic country rock, hooky guitar pop, heartland rock, alt. country, rough roadhouse rock and semi-acoustic songwriter-y folk rock with honest, hard-hitting lyrics which often deal with politics gone awry or social issues on a global or individual scale. Little Victories in 2010 was similarly structured with songs about life's little lies and everyday troubles but also about the charm of living in a prairie town. By then, Stagger had moved from the Westcoast metropolis of Vancouver to the Canadian hinterland of Lethbridge in the province of Alberta. In early 2012 it was time for Leeroy Stagger And His Band. The idea to Radiant Land came out of a two-month tour of the US in the summer of 2011 with drummer Nick Stecz, Stagger (guitars, vocals) and Evan Uschenko (guitar, bass, backing vocals). Under the auspices of experienced producer Robin Eaton the trio recorded what Stagger called his best material to date. For Truth Be Sold Stagger teamed up with another well-known producer: Steve Berlin of Los Lobos! For the wolves he is like an extra band member - he has also helmed sessions for Chuck Prophet, Dave Alvin, Tragically Hip, Katy Moffatt, Stephen Fearing, the Paladins, Buckwheat Zydeco, String Cheese Incident, Raul Malo, Michelle Shocked, Leftover Salmon, Fabulous Thunderbirds. Leeroy Stagger now joins these ranks. The two of them became fast friends and were on the same page as to how Truth Be Sold was supposed to sound: rough-hewn, direct and predominantly rock. The opener Memo makes the listener think that heavy metal might follow the song's opening licks. But (luckily) the Canadian's well-known voice comes on just then. The next song Goodnight Berlin brings more drum-bashing and guitar-cranking - it's a joy to hear. Celebrity is the first of a number of ballads, describing the pros & cons of celebrity worship. Cities On Fire is a typical Stagger message song built around a hypnotic, repeating, dry rocking riff. It's followed by a little relief for the listener's ears: Break My Heart is a pedal steel weeper (provided by Bryan Daste of Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags) that finds its way straight to the heart. The upbeat country rock of ESP delivers a fine No Depression atmosphere and talks about the aforementioned Easter Stagger Phillips project. The slow waltz of Sold Down The River is not the only song dealing with the monotony of life on the road - it's a fine example of how the trio of Stagger, Uschenko & Stecz has found its groove. In fact, Stagger has included both of them on every song's writing credits! After the country rock of Mister, Have A Heart gets rowdy with fuzz guitar and garage boogie before Jackie, a Whiskeytown-esque number, closes the album beautifully. Record Label: Blue Rose Style: Folk Rock