Logan Richard - Character Traits (2025) Hi-Res

Logan Richard steps into his own on Character Traits, a smooth, shape-shifting blend of soul, pop, and rock that showcases his guitar chops, songwriting range, and quiet confidence without ever breaking a sweat.

Prince Edward Island may be known for red cliffs and Anne of Green Gables, but Logan Richard is making sure it's on the map for something else, the kind of guitar-wielding pop soul that refuses to be confined to a single genre. On his new album Character Traits, the P.E.I. native steps confidently into the light, showcasing not just his killer chops, but his range as a songwriter with something to say.

Richard, long known as a secret weapon on Canada’s live circuit, has been gigging since he was 12, influenced by his brother’s electric guitar obsession, his dad’s record collection, and his Acadian mother’s fiddle-playing roots. Now, after years of playing everything from blues dives to theatre stages, he's distilled all those influences into an album that’s slick but still full of soul, and eclectic without coming across scattered.

Character Traits is a 21st-century mixtape in the best way, shifting from velvety R&B textures to plaintive folk-pop and funk-laced rock. At the center is Richard’s smooth voice and even smoother playing, never flashy, always in service of the song. The title track, written in a single inspired sitting, serves as both mission statement and glue, binding together the album’s stylistic swerves with clarity. “That song tied everything together,” Richard says. “I don’t think there are any two songs on the album that sound super similar to each other. Each song touches on a different genre and lyrical theme. They all represent separate little character traits. They all reveal different aspects of who I am.”

That balance of introspection and musical exploration gives Character Traits its quiet power. You can hear echoes of John Mayer, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Prince, all filtered through Richard’s own laid-back East Coast, Canada sensibility. But this isn’t a record of mimicry, it’s the sound of an artist finding his center and letting every influence orbit it. For all its versatility, Character Traits doesn’t shout for attention. It earns it, track by track, with songs that feel lived-in and thoughtful. It’s the kind of record that makes you curious about who he’ll become next.