Judging by music journalism these days, it seems that ever since "post-punk," we're living in a "post-everything" world. So why not just start over again from the beginning? It's easy to feel that way when listening to Jerry Leger's brilliant new album 'Nonsense And Heartache', because that's precisely what it suggests through its combination of primal rock and roll, and raw, confessional balladry. The separation between the two is evident by the album's title, and it is in fact two distinct collections of songs presented on two discs. He manages to channel the youthful vigor of Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Neil Young and Rick Danko, sometimes all within the same song. But at heart, Leger is driven by a quest to convey in his own manner the purity embedded in the grooves of the vintage rock, country and soul recordings he so dearly loves. This trait attracted early support from fellow singer/songwriters like Ron Sexsmith, and his staunchest ally, producer and label head Michael Timmins of Cowboy Junkies. Employing his distinctive live-off-the-floor recording approach on Nonsense And Heartache, Timmins focused on capturing the chemistry between Leger and his core musicians: multi-instrumentalist James McKie, bassist Dan Mock and drummer Kyle Sullivan, along with guest vocalist Angie Hilts. The ragged-but-right results perfectly complement Leger's tales of characters on the fringe, attempting to unravel life's mysteries.
