Victoria's folk-rock duo Jon and Roy will put you at ease and help you to appreciate the simple things. By My Side, their fifth album, is unassuming and warm like the perfect summer night. Jon Middleton and Roy Vizer are no strangers to the indie-folk scene, and though their diverse musical background can be heard across the seven songs on this record, what they've put together here belongs decidedly to the folk-rock genre.
Impressively, they've aimed for and achieved a smooth, cohesive, feel-good atmosphere without sacrificing a sense of lyrical and stylistic seriousness. The trump card here might be Middleton's raspy vocals, which bring a weathered croon to the wistfulness. "Moonrise," "Every Night" and the title track find Vizer's drumming and Middleton's voice, acoustic guitar and harmonica in peak form. By My Side follows up 2012's Let It Go, which won the Western Canadian Music Award for Best Roots Group Recording. This record might be better yet.
(Independent)Impressively, they've aimed for and achieved a smooth, cohesive, feel-good atmosphere without sacrificing a sense of lyrical and stylistic seriousness. The trump card here might be Middleton's raspy vocals, which bring a weathered croon to the wistfulness. "Moonrise," "Every Night" and the title track find Vizer's drumming and Middleton's voice, acoustic guitar and harmonica in peak form. By My Side follows up 2012's Let It Go, which won the Western Canadian Music Award for Best Roots Group Recording. This record might be better yet.