Elliott BROOD come from a long tradition of Canadian alt-country acts. From the Cowboy Junkies down through Blue Rodeo, Captain Tractor, and The Smalls, to Carolyn Mark, NQ Arbuckle, and The Sadies, the contribution of Canadian bands to the genre is sorely underrated. It is worth picking up Days Into Years for that reason alone, but don’t worry, there are more reasons than that to buy this album.
Like on other releases, Elliott BROOD announces their Canadiana immediately by naming their first song “Lindsay” (very Tragically Hip-esque). After chugging through “Lines” and “If I Get Old”, “Hold You” arrives with its great country sing-along/stomp and a classically persistent Drive-By Trucker (QRO album review)-like beat; the perfect road-trip song. After coming down from the high of “Hold You”, “Will They Bury Us” kicks in with an ending that would make The Rheostatics proud, and it’s a perfect way to wrap up the first half of the album.
To begin the second half of the album, “Northern Air” moves with an almost full head of steam into a Lightfoot! sound before they pull back and find their own harmonica-filled happy place. “My Mother’s Side” drags a bit, and unfortunately causes the album to slow to a crawl. Following that, “Owen Sound” seems like the natural album closer, making it the perfect record to listen to while driving an eighteen-wheeler from Lindsay to Owen Sound. But luckily it doesn’t end there with a whimper, but goes out with a bang in the form of the futuristic-retro (what?) dancehall beat on the out of nowhere final track “Their Will”.
Days Into Years is not quite Ambassador level, but luckily it doesn’t seem like Elliott BROOD are concerned about outdoing their past performances, but rather they’re focused on moving forward (or more appropriately, looking backwards). Put this record on while you drive through the wilds of wherever you currently reside and let Elliott BROOD be your guide through whatever local history and culture is nearby. Despite the specifics of time and place on this album, it is timeless and adaptable to wherever you are.
MP3 Stream: “Hold You“
