Full disclosure: Great Lake Swimmers (GLS) is the reason that I’m on the Great Dark Wonder team of writers. Ever since I was introduced to their music by way of songs from their original “Live at the Church of the Redeemer” release in 2009, I’ve tracked with the poignant and brilliant songs of Tony Dekker and his band. So, as you can imagine, I’m always eager to give a new GLS release a focused listen – and with the band’s latest album, “Caught Light,” I’m glad to say that I like what I hear.
Dekker’s Ontario-based band is a fixture in the Canadian music scene, though sitting with this newest collection of songs makes it clear that they are not resting on their laurels for this ninth album in their catalog. Among the meanings of the title may be a reference to their approach on this album – recording in three days, with two days of overdubs and thus working quickly and decisively to capture the ethos of the project. What they’ve bottled here is a collection with great emotional range, from buoyant to distressed to hopeful, and always with an undercurrent of resilience.
A tour through the tracks is truly a voyage, and an enjoyable trip at that. I’ve written previously here about the standout leadoff track, “One More Dance Around the Sun.” It’s bright and sanguine, a mid-tempo tune that at once feels true to the band’s previous work while also hinting at a new direction for this collection.
“Wrong, Wrong, Wrong” has an alt-country feel, evoking “Sky Blue Sky”-era Wilco as it lopes along and just keeps on keeping on. Dekker sings after getting honest about struggles that, while he “can’t afford therapy,” he’s only telling the listeners because he knows they won’t get it wrong, wrong, wrong. It’s as directly vulnerable a GLS song as I can recall.
With a sonic foundation of mandolin and keys and gentle accents of bass, “Youth Not Wasted” is a tender reflection that is sweet while never slipping into being saccharine. It’s a rebuttal to the old adage that “youth is wasted on the young,” and it’s about kindness to one’s younger self, looking back at the past in a bittersweet way that acknowledges that while it may be a mixed bag, on the balance, it is good.
Perhaps the most musically interesting tune is “The Fledgling Jay.” The prominent banjo flows along a bit like that in “Your Rocky Spine,” and the tune is also propelled by undulating bass and dashes of violin. There is a bounce to this track that narrates a scene from nature, and the literal and metaphorical admonition to “Fly away with all your might / Fly from the darkness to the light” takes a lesson worth keeping from it.
A recurring thread throughout the album is reaching out, looking, hoping for a response. “For You to Come Around” feels like a sequel to, or update to, the song “Where in the World Are You Now” from the band’s tremendous 2007 album “Ongiara,” as the protagonist has done his best to be steadfast as “calendar pages flipped like animated frames” and as he “waited ‘til the peaches and the apples were in season.” In “A Distant Star,” Dekker staunchly sings, “And I’ll keep shining / It’s the only thing I know how to do / Off in a faraway orbit / Shining just for you.” The title track is a reflective ballad that is reminiscent of GLS’ self-titled debut and “Think That You Might Be Wrong” from “New Wild Everywhere.” It sports a simple but expressive chorus and an outstanding electric guitar solo near the end of the song that is well worth checking out.
That searching thread reaches its summation in the outstanding closing track, “All the Best.” This audio letter, moved along by steady, brushed percussion, starts, “Did you get my last message, ‘cause I’ve been trying to find you / It’s been a real bad winter / Everything is frozen through.” After disclosing a relatable sentiment – “Kids are getting older and it scares me every day / I can’t help but wonder / If it’s all going to be okay” – the chorus is straightforward and utterly fitting: “All the best,” repeated. The phrase takes on a double meaning – the words of signing off a letter, but also an expression of holding on to hope. Dekker goes on to deliver some of the best lines on the album: “Anyway, if you get a chance, maybe you could get back to me / Let me know that you’re alive, and if you’re still out in BC / I’ve been thinking lots about what you said the last time we spoke / About how we’ve got all the punchlines, now we just need the jokes.” The chorus that closes out the song, and the album, is a fitting way to conclude.
“Caught Light” is as wide spanning of an emotional journey as found on any GLS album to date. The band was clearly aiming for a 1970s singer-songwriter feel, and that was achieved brilliantly. This latest chapter in their discography is gratifying for long-time fans while also being a very accessible entry point for those new to their music. For this writer who has enjoyed their music for a decade and a half, the album is a splendid new installment in an impressive story that continues to unfold.
Photo Credit: Robert Georgeff / Artist EPK
Matt Wheeler is a Lancaster County, PA-based singer, songsmith, stage-banter conversationalist, husband, & special-needs father. And an avid vinyl record collector, a purveyor of random facts, & tour-er of Canada (southern Ontario is a favorite destination). Ever since being introduced to Great Lake Swimmers' music through Pandora in about 2009, he has had an appreciation for Canadian music.
Matt's songs & stories, including his classic literature-based project "Wonder of It All," can be found at www.mattwheeleronline.com.
