The Canadian prairies are a disparate place of seekers of fortune and wisdom. For some, it's found in the depths of the Earth's core, while others turn their faces up to the mythical "big sky." With their feet secure in the fertile ground, Alberta's Prairie Soul bring their sky searching to their debut release, Wooden Nickel. Sarah Jane Cord's graceful fiddle serves as an elegant backdrop to guitarist Cory Danyluk's wonderful and rich voice, which sometimes trips over his own words. Danyluk uses a lot of biblical symbolism without belting you with it and there is wisdom in these here words, as with "Bad Art." However, his sagacity is lost in the abundance of metaphor, particularly in "Van Gogh Sunflower" and "Ruby Eyed Dragons." Look up at the "big sky" once again and realise there is much said in its starry, cloudless clarity.
(Independent)Prairie Soul
Wooden Nickel
BY Carol HarrisonPublished Jun 1, 2002