Fred Eaglesmith - Tambourine (2013)

For his 20th album, Tambourine, veteran singer/songwriter Fred Eaglesmith recorded live to eight-track analog to best capture the feel of a band playing together in a room. He admittedly ignored all trends in modern music, circa 2013. Instead, he took a month in an old hall in the hamlet of Vittoria, Ontario, to nail down these 11 songs, which reflect his love for vintage soul, rock ’n’ roll, and a touch of ’70s rockers such as Graham Parker, Bruce Springsteen, and Willy DeVille (who made room for a literacy that’s been with rock ever since). The electric guitar tones on the slow-moving “That’s What You Do” lead a track that brings back the color and vibe of the days when one could hear the placement of musicians on the records. “Nobody Gets Everything” turns up a sense of Del Shannon danger that you’d expect more on a Scott Kempner album. The two-minute “Nobody’s Friend” packs everything into its short timeframe. It’s an album made for people who prefer the reflective side of rock ’n’ roll songwriting.