HOUSE OF CARDS – JAMES KEELAGHAN

There are some who refer to James Keelaghan as Canada’s Richard Thompson. For a man of a similar vintage and blues n’ folk discipline, this is a reasonable comparison, however Keelaghan does not possess the same lyrical eccentricity or outstanding guitar wizardry as aforementioned folk hero. What this guy does have is a smoky-voiced confidence of delivery that is clearly the result of a long and healthy life of gigging on the road and honing his craft, piece by piece, into a likable plethora of material. Apparently conceived during a combined artists’ residency, there are some standout songs amid these mid-paced folk tales, the comforting suburban ballad Safe Home, and the darkly heart-strung Leave Town. True there’s not cult classics here, but it’s all good stuff. In an interesting thematic twist; the rather beautiful artwork details a house made entirely of playing cards, suggesting a life of gambled decisions, building the foundations of one’s existence on a series of risks. You never know when the joker will turn up. Whether or not these songs convey that for you is another matter, but it still sounds nice enough.

***1/2