Masterpiece, yes you read that right, I am putting it out there. This, in my opinion is Toronto’s album of the year! Jerry Leger put together a team of 18 musicians and created one mind blowing album.

The album starts off with a western movie style opening. Like a great character in the movie, you squint your eyes and then you begin to enter into an epic metaphysical journey. This journey is called, “Alone in a room of mirrors/James Cagney”.

Like a room of mirrors you take in each instrument slowly and you can pick up a gleam of light that each sound makes. It contains momentary burst that blinds you with its luminosity. I have to give credit to the microphone placement during this recording. I rarely listen to this component, but this one is so well done you can’t help but get caught in the inner workings and outer tactile approach.

This 14-minute piece breaks that beautiful 4-minute mark so well, that you almost feel like that Lonely Boy in the song, when it is coming to an end. This still has the warm psychedelic country feel to it but now has a new modern marker that other artists may have to strive for. It’s like the old cowboys have traded in their horses for spaceships.

The next song, “Odds and Even”, opens up like waking to a beautiful sunrise and sharing breakfast with The Band in Bobcaygon. How Canadiana can you get! It feels very woodsy, and earthy like you are sitting around a campfire. I can hear The Band’s Arcadian Driftwood playing in the back of my head. It is full and rich like it was given to you by Mother Earth.

A distant promise is calling to you from another realm. This would be, “Summer’s right around the corner”. When you get to the solo in the middle, the musicians bring all the elements of a perfect summer’s day right to your feet. Lay back and enjoy the dream of the Beach Boys float off into the clouds. Even the temperature of this song is perfectly warm and sunny.

The Psych-Fi’s change gear and decide to jam out this next song in the style of Phish. “You know that I love you”, starts off with innocent and sweet intent. If you sit still and let the song build, WHAM… the next thing you know is you are stuck inside an air raid siren that is spewing positive vibes of love to a broken world. The message is simple, and the results are better than going to therapy.

What makes this record magical is the placement of each and every note. Whoever took on the task of putting together all these musicians and arranging where each note goes should be applauded. It feels Goldilocks and the all the bears. Not too much and not too little, it is all right!

The last song, “Song for the Vultures”, is quite the ending. Boy, can you feel how well this song picks at your bones one little peck at a time. It really strips down your soul. It is one of the most downtrodden songs out there today. I felt like a piece of dry driftwood washed up on a cold pebbled beach. The solo is like a tribute to the lost souls walking away from a funeral: sad and brilliant.

Who should pick up a copy of this record?

People who love Blue Rodeo, The Band and other similar bands.

People who love rich sounds and well recorded sound.

People who enjoy recreational weekends listening to psychedelic journeys.

This in a nutshell is a truly original recording and everyone who worked on this project should have a strong feeling of accomplishment, because this is one of those records where every sound counted for something.

So here is the link to buy this album. This is one for the record collector who loves physical vinyl. You can also get a digital copy as well, and then tell your radio station to play it!

Can Con | The Psych Fi’s | Bobo Integral

P.S. I just found out, what makes this album that much more special, is that it was recorded in just one day. Also, they had some Rock Royalty help them out. Don Stevenson from the great 1960’s band Moby Grape helped out making this recording.