Elliott Brood
Album: Work And Love
Label: Paper Bag
Tracks: 9
Website: http://www.elliottbrood.ca/

Elliott Brood: the only way the band could sound more Dickensian is if they played the Betsy Trotwood, on Christmas Eve, to a crowd of orphans - and only one asked for more.

Work and Love, the Canadian trio's fifth album in a decade is something of a departure from the previous offerings. It is the first time they have worked with an external producer (Ian Blurton) and set off to the now obligatory farmhouse/log cabin/cave/bird box to record x songs in y days before camping in a studio to create a masterpiece.

This is a big album; it may have been claustrophobic in the making but my goodness it has stretched its wings on release. Take Mission Bell for example. It's only a little over four minutes but sounds like the sound track from a Spaghetti Western - all mystery and horns. It then runs into the summery sing-a-long throw-a-way pop of Jigsaw Heart.

It can be said that there are two types of Americana fan; those with power-pop sensibilities and those who like to rock a bit harder. That gap has just been bridged.

John 'The Jacket' Hawes