Cochlear Implant

Disc Of The Week

Corb Lund

Losin’ Lately Gambler

(New West)

****
Corb Lund couldn’t have written a more perfect album for his first big American release. He calls upon his the solid songwriting of his early material, but Losin’ Lately Gambler has clearly had a lot more studio time put into the finished product. Longtime fans of Lund and his Hurtin’ Albertans won’t be disappointed, but a few surprises are in store for them too. While the album starts in true, raucous Lund style with a couple of familiar-sounding tracks, along come a couple of darker gems. True, his previous album Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! explored darker territory, but new songs like “A Game in Town Like This” make you feel Lund has really stepped up his game — and written a song that will kick him to new heights. “Alberta Says Hello,” the standout track, is Lund’s most sincere and touching love ballad, a beautifully crafted song about heartache and loss, that feels honest and never trite. Throughout the album, from “Alberta Says Hello” to “This is My Prairie,” Lund pays tribute to his home province, and hopefully new fans will be turned on by the beautiful picture he paints of it.

CURTIS WRIGHT