Jim Byrnes – “The Shape I’m In” (audio) (premiere)

Without a shadow of a doubt,
Jim Byrnes is one of Canada’s finest bluesmen. Although he’s been turning in award-winning blues for over five decades, his music feels as fresh as it has ever with his emotive vocal delivery at its center.

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Byrnes is teaming up with guitarist and producer Steve Dawson for the seventh time on his latest record. Entitled
Long Hot Summer Days, it personifies searing and weathered summertime blues. The album releases on 3 November.

Ahead of time, however, Byrnes and Dawson are showcasing “The Shape I’m In”, the newest single from off of the upcoming album. It’s a delectable, rollicking production of smoky, old-school country blues.

On it, Byrnes shows his best vocal quality to be his restraint. While everyone knows he’s one heck of a powerhouse vocalist, he sinks right into the song’s pocket for the majority of the tune so that when it hits its stride with its drawn-out chorus, he can really send it home. Lush instrumentation completes the package, culminating in a sweet riff between guitar, harmonica, piano, and drums to top the tune off.

‘”Out of nine lives I’ve spent seven.’ Well, those words just spoke to me,” says Jim Byrnes. “So we thought we’d take it down to blues country and let me chew on and savour all those lyrics. What a story and oh so true!”