Jay Burns
Letters Volume 1
© 2005 Jay Burns (624481140422)
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Would fit well on a mix tape with Counting Crows, Train and Coldplay.
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Jay Burns brings a surprising breath of fresh air to the Canadian music scene, defying the traditions of the singer-songwriter archetype with his rock-driven sound. Not satisfied with the traditionally muted, overly-introspective compositions, Burns delivers a collection of stirring and energetic tunes, genuine in sentiment, but also exciting and inspirational, delivered with a signature voice - both tender and roaring - at times reminiscent of Lou Reid or Greg Dulli, and at others drawing comparisons to Chris Martin or Jeff Tweedy.
Burns spent the last decade honing his craft, living across North America and drawing inspiration from his experiences in New York City, Toronto, Winnipeg and Calgary. He began his musical career as the front man of Winnipeg-based Fleshtone Rockets, a band who sold more than 3,000 copies of their self-produced EP and full-length album from the back of their touring van. Word-of-mouth excitement for the band and their no-nonsense approach to rock music grew over the years, landing them showcase spots at Music West in Vancouver, the COCA Conference in Ottawa and Banff and North by Northeast in Toronto. Extensive touring saw Burns leading Fleshtone Rockets to open for the likes of The Proclaimers and The Mathew Good Band.
Driven to create a more personal brand of music, Burns pursued a solo career in 2003. He began to craft a series of songs that catch ears on both sonic and lyrical levels, inspiring listeners to both feel his music and listen closely to what's being said. The multi-level appeal allowed Burns to push the boundaries of the singer-songwriter model, explicitly incorporating elements of blues, soul, and roots-rock, and repeatedly capture the hearts of audiences across Western Canada. Burns confesses that he has, "never felt so inspired, and never felt so vital as a musician," as he has in the two years he's performed as a solo act.
In 2005, Burns collaborated with Juno-nominated producer Daniel Elmes (The Sweatshop Union, Kypreos, Ras Jahronimo) at Vancouver's Dubvibe Productions to record his first full-length solo album, Letters: Volume 1. Burns comments that, "having Dan behind the console allowed my work to sound very current, very contemporary, and very compelling."
Letters: Volume 1 instantly draws the listener in; while the album's tracks are rich with diversity, there's an intimacy to Jay Burns voice that carries throughout the album. Standout tracks include "Complicated Thing," an up-tempo piece perfectly framed with classic indie-rock styled guitar work, lyrically tackling the universal struggle we all face trying to find the right words at the right time. Also of note is "One Hundred Fold," a track inspired by an endless touring schedule and a heated love affair waiting at home. The track opens with the gentle charm one might expect from a ballad but quickly progresses into a sweetly pounding track with a near anathematic chorus.
Jay Burns will be touring across Canada in support of Letters: Volume 1 in 2006.
reviews
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Great Sound
author: Sheryl JamesI think this is one of the best Canadian made CD's I've heard in a long time. I don't know what Glussepe means by "mixing issues" as I have a $30.000 sound system in my club here in Vancouver and it sounds incredible to me, maybe I'm missing something but I don't think so.... it rocks from track one to the end....!! I get very upset when I think of how little support Canadian artists get at home, this guy's songwriting is out of this world and deserves to be listened to and supported but I've never heard him on much music or MTV.... why is that..? I will be keeping my eyes out for the next Jay Burns CD and I urge all Canadians out there to do the same, support the Canadian music scene and be proud of what we have up here..... with talent like this we have no reason to be insecure or whine about so called "mixing issues"...!!
Just Fabulous!!
author: Deanna H.I LOVE this CD. It's great for the hairy freeway driving, minimizes frustration. Another great Canadian musical work. Beautifully put together. If you don't buy this CD you must have rocks in your head.
love it love it loveit!!!!!!!
author: anastasia o'brienThe music in this cd is smooth and easy to listen to. I put it right up there with the soulful sounds of james blunt or jack johnson. Jay's voice envokes passion and the songs are comprised with the depth of a great storyteller,this is a must for anyones cd collection, especially for those cold winter nights!
Nice CD
author: Peter MansbridgeNice work... great sound, tight production...
love it. nothing more to describe in ten words.
author: Miss Gatesi play this cd all the time. i watched this thing grow from a 2 man acoustic jam to a full out production. i can relate to every song, not to mention i can dance to it. it also inspires me to believe that nothing is too small and the seemingly insignificant can turn into a life altering experience.
fantastic display of songwriting competence
author: giuseppegreat songwriting. a few mixing issues...but that is beyond creative control. otherwise a definate five stars out of five. good work. i can't wait to hear the second release. if you need a bass player...
Great new Canadian Talent
author: Dan MatthewGreat songwriting, fine musicianship and an overall fresh sound. This guy has a strong future and I think he will go far. Get the CD if you have a chance, you won't be sorry you did so, it's a great album.
No "Dear John" on these letters.....
author: anonymousWhen ever I get a new CD it gets the same test the last one got. I throw it in my truck stereo and see how long it stays befor something takes its place. If its really good it goes back in next. Not only has "letters" stayed in, the songs stay with me through out the day. Somthing I don't remember happening since the early eighties when I first started to discover music on the top 9 at 9 on 13 cfrw in winnipeg mb. The lyrics to most of the songs are some of the smartest I've heard in a very long time. The musical composition seems to take the listener exactly where the the song is going. Plus it's very hard to find any areas where you could say the CD has been over produced like so many others out there these days. I wouldn't want to catagorize what style of music Jay has come up with on this production because you can hear alot of different influences in the music. Almost as if it has a little something for everyone. To try to pin point it would not do the CD justice. If your a metal head, I would say pass on this CD but If you like anything that would classify you as a fan of music I would pick this one up. Give each song a good listening to, then do it once more and I'll bet you'll find it in your CD player more than when its not for the next while or so....
really great songs...what a surprise.
author: Paul PincestoneThis CD is in my iPod now. Great songs and music. Jay Burns voice is an instrument all on it's own. Lot's of vocal range and soul. My new fav.