Jonas Shandel

As we slip out of what passed for summer and into the beginning of Autumn this album just about perfectly fits the mood and sets the mind for the turning of the leaves and the brown glow that seems to suffuse everything.

Jonas Shandel is a founder member of Canadian roots band Headwater but this is his first solo effort and it is a singularly lovely piece of work. Only seven songs and only six originals – he does a sensitive version of Peter Gabriel’s ‘Mercy Street’ – his sound is best described as ‘Canadian-accoustic-wistful’ and his voice and the harmonies with Andrea Eder and Cam Grant plus some excellent lap-steel from Tim Tweedale give the music a gently insistent air that seems to float around the speakers without having and real directionality.

‘Time’ has the drifting feel of someone waiting for love to catch them up while Burial Ground’ chuffs along at a pace and ‘Rolling Like A Stone’ has a melody to die for and that wonderful lap-steel.
The production by Matthew Rogers gives a lush depth to the sound and overall it is a fine, fine debut.

Headwater are touring later in the year and hopefully a few of these numbers will feature, meantime this is a good intro to the man.