Music Review: Great Big Sea - The Hard and The Easy

The by's are back in town! It took a long time to get to this point. Great Big Sea has released their long awaited all-traditional album, The Hard and The Easy today, and after being less than pleased with Sea of No Cares and Something Beautiful*, I'm pleased to say that they've knocked this one out of the ballpark.

I think this release shows that the band understands how important their culture is, that they shouldn't be afraid to just be who they are instead of what the record industry thinks they should be. Their venture into the pop market wasn't as successful as they'd hope, and with this release, ironically, they've risked more here than they would have with their pop releases considering the all-traditional material. But I think the media is biting, and fans will be pleased to know that their raucous energy is back on this album, in full force.

Throughout the album, one can tell they enjoyed making it by the hearing the enthusiasm in their voices. You could even say they sound rejuvenated after having a lengthy hiatus, and if their hiatus is any sign of the feeling they come through on this album, then it indeed helped. Their sound on this album is more akin to what they sounded like on Up and Play, and even with hints of Turn, their voices bursting forth out of the speakers, and is a more pleasing and entertaining album than the pop laden albums they have served us for the past 2 years. The harmonies are beautiful, especially on River Driver and Graceful & Charming (Forget-Me-Not), and the instrumental arrangements are complex and interesting, even moreso than those on Up and Play.

If the music itself wasn't enough, there's even a 50 minute DVD included which promises to be quite a bargain. I haven't personally viewed the DVD yet, so I will elaborate more on it in a future post, but I think it's safe to say that this album is easy to recommend, unlike SONC or Something Beautiful*. It has easily surpassed my expectations. A welcome addition to any collection, folk music aficionados and Great Big Sea fans alike.


Album: Great Big Sea - The Hard and The Easy
Publisher: Warner Music (Canada) / Rounder (US)
Release Date: Oct 11th (Canada) / Oct 25th (US)
Bonus Material?: Yes (DVD)
Site: www.greatbigsea.ca