Twenty Three by Keith Jolie
Twenty three
A car pulled off the highway in hesitation, a pair of work boots sitting in a closet, the repeated plea of ‘give me something’; gritty songs soaked with questions of usefulness and purpose saturate the latest album from Keith Jolie.
With twenty three, Keith Jolie presents an album where the song stories take front stage with vocals that range from tender to angry and broken. From the opening “Strings” through to the closing “She”, twenty three is bookended by consideration for the story from the perspective of the strings, pictured as characters in the stories they tell, through to the muse (She) that inspires them.
Between the bookends, are a series of stories of seeking answers. “Carolina” hides the anguish and anger that results from being deceived in the clothing of a joyful anthem that begs to be sung. “Bad Boy” and “Secrets” take a slight turn towards americana/country with stories of bad choices, regrets and could-have-beens.
As the album progresses, the levels get turned up with “Steel” and “Give Me Something” that scream of the perspective of age and experience and what is left at the end of the day or a life of work. “Running” a Canadian anthem of a young man that travels from Ontario to the rockies like so many before.
Twenty three has been a solitary exercise for Keith Jolie who performed, engineered, and produced all the songs on this album. The songs are a collection that were written over the last few years with a few exceptions. “She” is a reprisal from an EP that was put out on cassette tape in 1993, while “Strings” was written and recorded in the last week of working on the album; bookends both chronologically and in the sequence of the album.
This is the latest album from Keith Jolie who’s discography includes:
1993: The Turn EP
1996: Songs from a Black Notebook
1998: City So Cold
2008: Sidewalk Stories, Endsville album. lyrics and music written by Keith Jolie.
2015: The Beauty ep
2017: twenty three
Tracklist
| 1. | Strings | 3:54 |
| 2. | Carolina | 3:39 |
| 3. | Bad Boy | 4:38 |
| 4. | Secrets | 6:11 |
| 5. | Head Like Iron | 4:06 |
| 6. | Steel | 3:46 |
| 7. | Give Me Something | 3:08 |
| 8. | I Saw The Stars | 4:53 |
| 9. | Running | 5:28 |
| 10. | She | 5:39 |
Credits
License
All rights reserved.Tags
Blues and roots inspired
City-Folker
Background
Keith started singing in music bars in the Brantford area in the 1990s. through a residency at punk music venue The Turnaround,and solo gigs with bigger bands he figured out how to earn the attention of an audience.
Continuing to write, record and perform and is now living in Hamilton. His latest album is "Younger than that now"