Tony Dekkar/Great Lake Swimmers

Song Sung Blue EP

(Weewerk)

US release date: 11 November 2008

UK release date: Available as import

By Matthew Fiander

Song Sung Blue is a collection of tracks recorded by Tony Dekkar to serve as a soundtrack for Greg Kohs’ documentary of the same name, which tells the story of Lightning & Thunder, a husband-wife Neil Diamond tribute band. The disc starts with a cover of Diamond’s “Song Sung Blue” by Dekkar’s band, Great Lake Swimmers, and that track alone is worth the price of admission. Their version remains true to the original, while the band’s threadbare folk sound and Dekkar’s lilting vocals lend their own bittersweet touch to the song. From there, the disc offers eight instrumental pieces written by Dekkar, which are nearly as affecting as the cover. Through the simply plucked guitar of “The Dream”, or the warm vocal harmonies of “Eyes on the Prize”, these works and full of space and soaked in feeling. That most of the tracks stay at or under two minutes make the EP seem fleeting, and in that way this music is still reliant on the film to bring out its full power. But this is still a beautiful, if brief, offering from Dekkar, and will surely hold fans over until the next Great Lake Swimmers record.

— 26 January 2009
Great Lake Swimmers - Innocent When You Dream (Live - Tom Waits Cover)
 
Bookmark and Share

Related Articles

Vancouver Folk Music Festival: 19 July 2009 - Jericho Beach, Vancouver, BC

By Joshua Kloke

19.Aug.09

With equal emphasis on exposing an array of artists and maintaining Vancouver’s status as a socially-driven and socially responsible place to be, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival was out of this world.

Great Lake Swimmers: Lost Channels

By Ross Langager

22.Apr.09

Great Lake Swimmers make great music to listen to as you lie in the grass and fall asleep.

Great Lake Swimmers: Ongiara

By Matthew Fiander

05.Jun.07

Tony Dekkar has hit his stride with Ongiara, using the right combination of elements from the band’s earlier work to craft not only their best, but one of the best of ‘07.