artist Deon Blyan

The Canadian folk-pop scene has found itself a new poster boy. Initially, Deon Blyan's newest album Turning to Wave appears to be yet another collection of brooding singer-songwriter accounts of love lost ("Empty Heart") and moving on ("My Lesson's Learned," "Dive Right In"). And yet, he somehow manages to craft easygoing melancholic tunes that are astonishingly uplifting and hooks that continue bouncing around in your head long after the album has ended.

Blyan's second album reunites him with Edmonton's James Murdoch, who produced and co-wrote several songs, and enlists the aid of other local talent such as the haunting vocals of F&M's Becky Anderson on the track "Earthquake.

"It seems that every writer is told at some point to write about what you know, so when you live in the wondrous expanse of flat land that is Alberta, it's no surprise that you'd want to write about anywhere but here.

Over the course of the album, Blyan takes us on a journey to the bustling cosmopolitan streets of Brooklyn, on the search for "what the fuss is about" in "Across 23rd Street," and we're even transported to a fanciful town where two worlds collide in "Winnipeg Italy." Anything that allows you to forget the frigid Canadian winter, even for a moment, is one hell of a gift.

Turning to Wave's catchy pop ballads highlight Blyan's commanding and emotional storytelling abilities. Offset with a folk-country twang reminiscent of Blue Rodeo's Jim Cuddy or Luke Doucet, Blyan's ability to capture a picture of the daily Canadian experience evokes an unequivocal feeling of familiarity.

Jamie Chapelsky The Gateway Edmonton, AB