No small number of fans will scream heresy when I say this but, as good a songwriter as he is, Neil Young really can't sing worth a damn. His shortcoming as a singer has always been the biggest reason why he has tread on the fringe while artists like Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen have enjoyed significant mainstream success. The hindrance that Young's shortcoming has been on his career has been significant – but listening to Justin Rutledge's new album Valleyheart illustrates just how significant it has been; with a singing voice that could make listeners weep at its beauty and a songwriting power comparable to the caliber of Neil Young, Justin Rutledge proves his star power is rising on Valleyheart – and all he'll need is the right opportunity to have people hear him.
In the meantime, let's talk about why you, dear reader, should make sure you hear Valleyheart when it's released on February 12, 2013.
After getting off to a reasonably confusing start (listeners won't be able to stop themselves from wondering why a Canadian is attempting to wrap himself in the American flag as happens here on “Amen America”), Justin Rutledge falls into a warm and perfectly engaging rhythm with “Four Lean Hounds.” There, the singer breathes like the last rose of summer as he wonders how time clearly got away from him and looks warmly at photos of times gone by.While the possibility of becoming incredibly overwrought is certainly there in “Four Lean Hounds,” Rutledge manages to keep the mood almost wistful here, thanks in no small part to his excellent melodic sense; no note gets overcooked in any stanza, and the results just stay pleasant instead of becoming dour. The same is true for “Getting Away” and “Kapuskasing Coffee” – which both owe no small debt to folky-pop troubadours like Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty (even with the heavy metal references made in “Kapuskasing Coffee”) in their fondly romantic tones – and listeners will find themselves only becoming more and more deeply ensconced in the songs as the record progresses. It is worth pointing out that the tone of this album remains very consistent and very even throughout; there are no runaway hits or barnburning singles, the record never moves beyond the 'heart-on-its-sleeve folk' point at which the record started out. In print, that might come off as sounding stale, but Valleyheart simply explores one particular portion of the emotional spectrum for the entire duration of its run-time and holds listeners enthralled every step of the way because it's just so beautiful. For that reason, Justin Rutledge might just end up becoming the next Canadian superstar songwriter; not because he's flashy, but because he's just that good.
Artist:
www.justinrutledge.com/
www.myspace.com/justinrutledge
www.facebook.com/JustinRutledgeMusic
www.twitter.com/JustinJRutledge
Album:
Valleyheart will be released on February 12, 2013 via Outside Music. It is not yet available for pre-order on Amazon.
