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Nova Scotian singer and adult contemporary radio favourite Bruce Guthro broods with gusto on his first album since
Of Your Son, his gold-certified 1998 debut. Even though he spent much of the interim working as the new front man of veteran Scottish folk-pop group Runrig, the influence of Scottish and Celtic music on
Guthro is not as prominent as you'd expect. Instead, the album delivers slick and tasteful mainstream rock with big choruses and strident guitar leads. While the musical settings can sometimes be generic, Guthro rises to the occasion as a songwriter, spinning out compelling tales of heartbreak like "Don't Go" and "Hopeless" as well as portraits of characters in dire straits. "In the Morning" is the story of two junkies planning their escape from the "medicine man and silver spoon," while "Factory Line" tells of a working-class romance that takes a tragic turn. In "Hey Mister," Guthro dramatizes a confrontation between a down-at-the-heels dude "hanging on the corner down Main Street" and a "blue suit" who looks right through him. That song is one of two produced by David Lowery, and its style recalls the wordy, loony folk-rock of Lowery's old band, Camper Van Beethoven. Seven other tracks were produced by Toronto native Malcolm Burn and recorded at Daniel Lanois's studios in New Orleans--the results boast the earthy yet richly textured sound of so much music recorded there. While
Guthro may not be the equal of, say, Bob Dylan's
Oh Mercy, it's nonetheless an unusually engaging and humane mainstream rock disc.
--Jason Anderson
