Evalyn Parry

There should be a fine levied from every Canadian songwriter who waxes longingly about California in verse. Finally, in "Canada Dreams About California," the lead track from Toronto poet/singer Evalyn Parry's new album, someone has felt compelled to take these bleary-eyed generic-minded Canuck artists to task. This is just one of the often witty social commentaries Parry thrusts at us on Unreasonable. Others include life from the perspective of a maxi pad ("Always" — which is understandable from a woman known to dress as one), the commodification of homosexuality ("Profit in the Margins"), or more politically-charged subject matter like god's economic place in the American dream ("Drive Thru America") or political turmoil in South America ("Ecuador"). Parry's jazz-backed spoken word selections fit neatly alongside her singer/songwriter offerings making Unreasonable anything but.