Mike Trask, Mike Trask and the Precious Memories, Indie

The concept alone of the latest effort from Mike Trask and his collection of friends and cohorts should be reason enough to press play, but if you need some convincing, then alright, here goes…

This is the fourth solid full length album to be released by Trask in roughly the past year (JamboreeJamboree IIWhat a Weird Nite and now One Big Happy Family).  Few artists are this prolific at any period in their career, and fewer artists have a catalogue containing 3+ quality albums, but this is Trask’s 6th  quality release since his debut album The Show dropped in 2006.  One Big Happy Family plays something like a soundtrack to a Tarantino film, and this might as a direct result of the concept itself.  A concept which consisted of Trask and artist Benjamin Allain purchasing of a thrift shop photo album (complete with pictures), an album which Allain took away and set to work on composing a series of collages, and it’s from those collages where Trask drew his inspiration and crafted songs based on the images in the series.  Allain then took these songs and painted accompanying works, and since the inception of the concept in late December is grew to 5 songs and paintings by April, eventually growing into the One Big Happy Family LP which was released in August of this year.

If you’re familiar with Mike Trask and his work, you’re in for a treat as he is an artist who is anchored in the sounds of 40’s and 50’s blues eras.  The spirit of his material captures a raw and genuine grittiness on the recordings, which further lends itself to the authentically vintage feel of the tunes.  That is not saying the music in is any way dusty or old, as that would be doing Trask’s entire catalogue a disservice.  His music pulses with an energy and passion, which is not something that can be fabricated or faked, you can tell that his heart is clearly worn on his sleeve here.  Trask’s Tom Waits-esque rasp manages to bubble under with a guttural intensity in the quieter moments and soars with a solid intensity when business picks up.   As with any good blues rock album, this one is not meant for those bright sunny afternoons, this is an album perfect for those cool damp introspective evenings when you’re curled up with a good spirit. It’s not a raucous affair, but one of the best albums of the year due in part to its subtlety and conviction.   Much like his past works, Trask forges musical experiences which are unique and distinctive, but they all bear a tiny thread which tie the catalogue together.  Tracks such as “Those Eyes”, the title track “One Big Happy Family” and “Home For My Love” are ripe for the picking by Rock (or Adult Contemporary radio), but in my opinion this is the best Mike Trask project thus far.  I can’t wait to hear what his future offers.

About the author

Trev

A proud and over-caffeinated husband, father, runner and writer. I've written for the local weekly The Coast for over a decade and have since taken to creating and writing for HAFILAX for even longer. I hope you enjoy the musings of a guy who has loved music for the better part of 4 decades, and has an album of concert tickets to show for it.

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