Carolyn Mark and NQ Arbuckle
(Mint Records)
A genuine, homespun delight, Let's Just Stay Here matches the talents of two of Canada's great treasures -- down home chanteuse Carolyn Mark and the boisterous barroom affinity of NQ Arbuckle -- in an album destined to set the standard for brash yet unpretentious alt-country indulgence. Dividing the vocals equally between Ms. Mark and the Arbuckles' Neville Quinlan, it spans heart-wrenching ballads to rowdy rave-ups, all conveyed with honesty, humility and a sense of genuine earnestness and emotion.
Given the smoky, hard-bitten twang of "All Time Low," the gruff perseverance of "Saskatoon Tonight" and the rugged determination of "Officer Down" and "Downtime," the duo's campy observations take second place to a rousing, carousing delivery that's swept along by a kind of dusty deliberation and sepia-tinged instrumentation. Alternately imbued with a shuffle and a sway, breathless exhortation and weary, forlorn resignation, Mark and company leave no emotion untouched, no observation unscathed. As sweeping as the vast Canadian plains, this ramshackle collaboration sets a new standard for all parties concerned, and leaves no doubt that the suggestion implicit in its title is an invitation well worth heeding. Suffice it to say, Let's Just Stay Here is an album that begs repeated visits.
Standout tracks: "All Time Low," Saskatoon Tonight," "Canada Day Off/Toronto" LEE ZIMMERMAN
