Fresh Tracks: A New Generation Of Country From Yesteryear Leads … To Those Eastern Slopes

The first lyrics of… To Those Eastern Slopes is a poignant tell-tale of what Quinn T. Sprague’s debut has in store for us.

“Heading into QE2 with a ton of Enbridge gear …” from album opener Neon Burnin ‘is one of the most honest statements about Edmonton life heard in a long time. The most recent cultural mention carries an interesting nostalgia, a cozy juxtaposition that persists throughout the eight songs, despite the variations found within.

Booker Diduck’s steel guitar takes the lead from two steps on Donna, the next track and an obvious single set in motion by a sadly pretty and heartbreaking beat that conveys an emotion only lovers know.

Sprague has a way of marrying connotations decades past his youth, such as relying on horses and feeling grumpy, with contemporary difficulties like taxis not running and hipsters knocking him down; somehow they have always existed together. But it’s the local details peppered throughout this collection that make it truly special: Old-town Beverly, tater tots at Grandma, Safeway stores and malls, with prairie-tinged sensibilities honoring influences like old Hank Snow.

… To Those Eastern Shores displays a talent mature enough to know where it wants to go, maintaining an innocence with creative freedoms. As fall progresses, these songs sneak through the density of our days like a ray of sunshine under a cloud bank, offering a graceful lightness we didn’t know we needed.