Music releases

Released

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Producer

Marcel Desilets

Dragonfly Studio

Independent

Catalog No.

966

The third release from Manitoba folk music staple Marcel Desilets.

It would be rather natural to categorize mellow Manitoba singer/songwriter Marcel Desilets as just another laid-back local folkie. The difficulty is that upon listening to his third full-length album, To Be Here, it's obvious he has so much more going on inside his songs that they can't be easily labelled. Indeed, his quiet delivery is very folk-inspired. His hushed vocals are caressed by plenty of skilful dobro, mandolin, fretless bass and
"parlour" guitar shadings and lyrically he is more a pure poet than a rhyming dictionary enthusiast. Listening to his placid stories about smooth - starting summer days and the unquestionable enjoyment of wearing comfortable slippers bring a sense of peace and definitely won't require your soul to do any heavy lifting. As he explains in the uncomplicated lyrics of the moving Simple Words, sometimes everything we really need is right here, right now and right in front of us.

**** (four stars)
Jeff Monk - Winnipeg Free Press