Brother Ray Lemelin seeks the light on his heartfelt and homespun album Dark / Out Of Phase — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Intimate, reflective and revealing, the veteran folk, blues and roots artist’s long-overdue solo debut is a gorgeously intimate work of catharsis and confession that walks in the footsteps of early Tom Waits, vintage JJ Cale and even the south-of-the-border sounds of Marty Robbins. The album is a laidback exploration of love and life lost through smooth trailing acoustic guitar backed by accordion, banjo, and mandolin. Dark/Out of Phase is a collection of songs that are as immersive as a lazy Sunday afternoon.
“Playing the whole album as they did way back in history, where four guys set up in a circle, put up a few mics and just let the songs tell their story. Up close and personal, Dark/Out of Phase is a work of the heart about love and life lost and starting over,” says Lemelin about the album, which includes Tim Williams on six different stringed instruments, Howard Schmenge Chapman on accordion and Bob Richardson on bass.
Lead single It Really Isn’t Just About Me is a jangly roots throwback that explore a mental shift to understand that the world is not all about yourself. To break the song out of its traditional roots mold, Lemelin adds a unique spoken-word element that his son Ray Hyphen contributed, connecting the listener to the song’s narrator.
Lemelin has been a touring and performing guitarist for a variety of artists such as Wes MacKay, Lowell Fulson and Pinetop Perkins. Dark/ Out Of Phase is Lemelin’s first solo effort away from being a touring guitarist and leading the full-time band The Matinee Kings. Inspiration for the album came from living in B.C. and playing out some of the thoughts in his head with long-time friend and collaborator Richardson at Slaughterhouse Studios.
Listen to Dark / Out Of Phase above and below, and join Brother Ray Lemelin at his website.
