Material: A modern day troubadour, Jeremie Albino’s Americana folk-infused sound is loyal to the genre and easily accessible. At the core of his songwriting is true heart, with enough universality to reach those with diverse musical tastes. Fleeing big city life in Toronto, Albino traded it for a more rural existence—working on farms—where, in that environment, he had ample inspiration to craft the type of songs he has turned out.
In “Shipwreck,” Albino creates an apt metaphor for someone so far gone that no one can reach them: I’m a wreck /I’m a lonesome shipwreck/ lonely as I can be/ a thousand leagues under the sea/never going to find me. In “The Cabin,” Albino’s uber-romantic, but unsentimental love song, he uses the cabin as another strong metaphor: Meet me at the cabin on a mountain/the one you’re always dreaming of/so you build it on the edge of a mile-long drop/so we can be the first to see the sun come out... It doesn’t matter where we go/we’ll always find a way/on a city street or country road/anywhere with you I’ll go.
Musicianship: Albino’s spirited guitar work propels the material, while his more laid-back picking complements more tender nuanced numbers. Using a foot-controlled kick drum you longing for more. He provided backstory for while simultaneously playing guitar, he creates an underlying foundation and fuller sound. His vocals contain enough grit juxtaposed with angst to broadly emote the varied scope of his songs’ messages. His intermittent use of harmonica is a further nod to the genre.
Performance: Albino recounted stories that were easily grasped, eliciting empathy, essential to audience engagement. Making note at times during the set that a particular song is usually performed with a full band, (a sort of disclaimer), Albino needed no apologies, as his feisty guitar playing and foot-operated kick drum didn’t leave some of the material, but considering that after a decade of living such an altered lifestyle, a more detailed look at how it influenced his songwriting would have been welcome. However, given the time constraints of the set, it might have cut too much into his playing time.
Summary: Jeremie Albino conveys sincerity and authenticity with his mix of introspective and convivial material. Demonstrating that we can lead very different lives, and still have a meeting of the minds, bodes well for his songwriting career. More insight into what inspires his choices would be a plus.
Contact: [email protected]
Web: jeremiealbino.com
Players: Jeremie Albino, guitar, vocals, kick drum, harmonica
