IN REVIEW: Gord Downie - "Away Is Mine"

It's a little surreal having a new album from Gord Downie, just about three years to the day since his passing. Recorded just three months before his passing with producer Nyles Spencer (who provides drum programming and other effects) and frequent collaborators Josh Finlayson (co-founder of Skydiggers) and Travis Good (of The Sadies), Away Is Mine is presented as a double album, the second half being stripped down acoustic versions of the original songs. At just over 27 minutes for the electric arrangements and just over 24 minutes for acoustic, whichever set you choose isn't too great an investment.

If this album proves anything, it's Downie's commitment to creation; even so close to his passing, he made greatness seem almost effortless (Away Is Mine was written and recorded in a combined time period of just about two weeks). As opposed to the heart-wrenching send-off Introduce Yerself, the songs on Away Is Mine are generally livelier and less emotionally heavy; these songs find Downie doing what he was always best known and loved for, and that's stringing words together in a way that was pure magic.

That there are still more projects yet to be released is exciting and, after listening to his last recorded work, I know that there are plenty more treasures to come. There will never be another Gord Downie, and Away Is Mine is yet another stark reminder of why he is so very much missed.

October 16, 2020 • Gordieland/Arts & Crafts

Highlights Useless Nights • About Blank • Untitled

Comments

Year in Rock 2025

Alright, I've got some explaining to do. By now anyone who's visited this blog is well aware of how infrequently I've used this space in recent years; aside from the occasional fertile year of content, I really haven't posted all that often over the last five years or so. There are many reasons for this, which have already been outlined in previous apology posts; but, essentially, it boils down to my own laziness and the cold reality that blogs are, like Refused (again), fucking dead. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for a triumphant return to reviews, or even semi-regular posts, but: a) I feel like Year in Rock posts have always belonged here and, even though I've experimented with different methods of presentation recently and been satisfied, the "blink and you missed it" unveiling via Facebook stories this year was perhaps ultimately a disservice to the records I lauded. After all, cramming the list into short videos isn't too far off from ju...

Year in Rock 2013 Nominee: Arctic Monkeys

ARCTIC MONKEYS Do I Wanna Know? From: AM Released: September 10 That Year in Rock 2012's Single of the Year R U Mine? ended up on this album is pleasing, and it fits the motif well enough. But R U Mine? isn't what makes Arctic Monkeys' fifth album an Album of the Year contender. Sweaty, sultry and pulsing with sexual energy, AM is the kind of record that's just as effective whether you're chilling out after a long day, staring into a mirror prepping yourself for a late night clubbing session or setting the mood for some escapades in the boudoir.

Year in Rock 2023: Album of the Year #10-1

Now we're getting somewhere; the top ten, where there are no duds or mids, only bangers. Also, no more teasing it out; let's wrap this up! What I've learned this year from my ten faves this year is that it is indeed still possible for a dude approaching his fifties to more or less stay up to date on the new school. Of course, there are some listed here that got a boost from playing tribute to the old school, but there is an undercurrent happening in rock that points to the future. But, I'm getting ahead of myself; here come the champs. 10 MILITARIE GUN Life Under the Gun June 23, 2023 • Loma Vista Highlights Very High Will Logic Never Fucked Up Once Rising from the ranks of the still-potent L.A. hardcore scene, the debut record from Militarie Gun (following a trio of EPs) bears a dash of polish that's expected with backing from a larger label; the tension and energy remain, though, resulting in one of the catchiest hardcore albums I can think of in recent years. 9 ...

SOUND BITES

Search This Blog