BROTHERS IN ARMS
JASON COLLETT Song and Dance Man
Jason Collett’s new LP, Song and Dance Man, has such a thoroughly anachronistic feel to it that it’s jarring to hear the former Broken Social Scene man sing about SXSW and tweeting on it. Part of that vintage veneer can be attributed to producer Afie Jurvanen (Bahamas) — who also offers up warm, sticky-fingered bass here — but that bygone aesthetic is also rooted in Collett’s writing and, even more so, his performing. Tracks like “Long Day’s Shadow” have groaning guitar work and breezy vocals that evoke George Harrison at his most wistful, while the lumbering rhythm section of “Black Oak Savanna” owes a debt to CCR. Then there’s the title track, on which Collett’s sly vocal swagger evokes a youthful Tom Petty, as the punchy drum and bass echo a long lost Wings B-side. “Where Did Our Love Go?” starts with pitter-patter drums and guitar strumming that reside squarely at the intersection of E Street and Asbury Park. On it, Collett addresses the ’70s head on, before lamenting lost love and sex. The title track, meanwhile, is a fierce critique of a modern music industry that marginalizes its talent. By paying joyous musical homage to the ’70s greats while also singing about what we ought to reclaim from that bygone era, Jason Collett has given Song and Dance Man a quality that’s both timely and timeless. (Arts and Crafts, arts- crafts.ca)
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO HAVE JURVANEN PRODUCE THIS RECORD?
Him going from being a guitar player in my band to actually being in the driver’s seat and telling me what to do was a lot of fun. He’s really come into his own, and his talent is immense. I’m proud of what he’s doing on my record, in a familial way.
ZEUS ARE TOURING AS YOUR BACKING BAND, AND YOU SEEM TO HAVE A VERY STRONG CONNECTION WITH ALL OF THEM.
Yeah, Afie introduced me to the other fellows he was playing with at the time, who went on to become Zeus, and he convinced me they should be my backup band for touring Idols. Those tours we did, and the subsequent record we did together, were a big part of my last ten years. So when I did my 2010 album Rat a Tat Tat, Zeus produced that collectively. Afie has been someone I’ve wanted to work with in that context, because he’s got such a unique spin on things. KYLE MULLIN