"I still have a very clear memory of sitting around the kitchen one night when i was about eight years old; dad came home with an old beat up Stewart f-hole and using open tuning started playing and singing a Floyd Tillman-Jimmie Davis song called "It Makes No Difference Now."

And that's the time and place this collection of songs seems to have come from — the familiar country and blues song forms and harmonies Jim heard and learned to play during his childhood in rural Quebec. In this fourth collection and collaboration with Jason Lang, we hear yet another example of their creative process: Jim brings his distinctive voice and storyteller's sense of humour to the project while Jason offers us imaginative slide motifs and a spirited set of acoustic and electric guitar solos.

Whether addressing the specifics of a particularly bad day (BAD MOOD), railing at an obsession that won't let go (RUINING MY LIFE), just keeping ahead of the BIG BLACK DOG or dealing one more late night hand of solitaire (NIGHT TRAIN), many of these songs have the feel of two guys sitting around the kitchen playing guitar and singing. There's some funk (DOING TIME), a golf tale (IF THINGS CAN GO WRONG), an oldie (ALL THE WAY TO TEXAS), an anthemic toe-tapper (ROLL WITH THE THUNDER) and the sublime BULWER BROOK.

Attentive to detail as always, relaxed in tone and delivery, the combination of traditional sounds and current sensibilities on the album make for a contemporary COUNTRY BLUES COLLECTION that's both engaging and easy to listen to.