artist Aaron Wrixon

Aaron Wrixon is a Vancouver-born, Hamilton-bred songwriter who now lives in Toronto. His album, "The Year of Longing Dangerously," is a mix of old-time country, jazz, and smart-aleck pop. And — wait for it — it's a concept album about love and loss. Which is a pretty dicey proposition. Nobody wants to hear a sad sack bleating for 45 minutes about anything, let alone a broken heart. Fortunately, though, each tune tackles things a little differently, from the no-bones-about-it pleading of "You Should Be With Me, pt. 1", to the quiet beauty of "For You". And there's a healthy dose of humor in the mix. What's more, the broken heart isn't really his — most of the record is made up. Furthering the fiction is "Year's" dedication to Charity Wyeth, a Forest Hill socialite who won't have Aaron because he doesn't move in the right circles. The record is an impassioned attempt to get her back, but Charity is no more real than the love letter that serves as the album's liner notes or the farm house on the front cover. Aaron made the whole thing up because... well... if you're going to spend a year longing dangerously, you're going to need someone to long for. Aaron has shared the stage with similarly minded singers like Carolyn Mark, Jim Bryson, Luke Doucet, Melissa McClelland, both Matthew and Jill Barber, and the Killjoys' Mike Trebilcock — and he'll keep going until Charity comes back.

Aaron Wrixon Big Hat