JACK HARLAN
Carnival Of Mystery (Nettwerk)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

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Poor sod, Jack Harlan is well on his way to a career of misunderstanding and oblivion. Not content with offering up subtle singer-songwriter ditties well below the radar range of any radio format, Harlan infuses his tales of sorrow with eloquent instrumentation, ensuring invites from folk festivals will be few and far between. But enough about the suicidal nature of this career move, for Harlan is a new talent to be reckoned with, and he's a Canuck to boot. A heady mix of harmony and melody comes close to Australian Paul Kelly; sharing the gift of birthing songs that appear innocent at first, but contain a wallop of passion when given the chance. And like Kelly, Harlan can rock it up - as he does on "Leg of Mercy" - when the occasion presents itself. A good one.

[Pick this up at www.werkshop.com.]

© 2002 - John Sekerka