Who: John Allaire
Where: Ottawa
What: downtrodden odes
Contact: , 613-276-0719, www.johnallaire.com.

John Allaire sure tosses in a load of instruments on this rootsy recording, Ghosts Of The Royal Motel, which gives it a little more pizzazz than most – vibraphone, organ, sax, pedal steel, banjo, cello, viola – but it’s not overpowering. The 12-song collection is perfect barroom cool. He’s got one of those rough ‘n’ tumble voices that lures you in right with the opener, “Angels,” a lyric about everyday angels that features a verse by prominent guest vocalist Amanda Rheaume. A great storyteller, Allaire has some standout lines in “Bourbon.” It’s a shame the lyrics aren’t included in the liner notes. Strange a song so enjoyable is about a suicidal guy with nothing to live for except the woman who pours his bourbon. More warped humour pops up in the boogie-piano lament “Keep The Rhythm,” complete with effective pauses and a chuckle at the end. The singer-songwriter did time in the ’80s and ’90s in a band called The Town Cryers and in 2003 released his solo debut, Crime And Punishment. In 2005, he linked up with a backing band, the Campistas, and put out Thank You Waitress, which received chart-topping play at many campus radio stations and even got some attention in Europe. To date, the self-funded album has sold about 1700 copies. Ghosts Of The Royal Motel should easily do the same.

Listen to John Allaire’s Bourbon:

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