Regular Columnists

Artist: Doug Folkins
Album: Signs Along The Way
CD Review: This 12 song album by Canadian, Doug Folkins opens with the pleasing "Telephone Bay", a midtempo folk/pop tale of a journey where "The streets are frozen" and "the rain keeps falling." One really nice feature included in his CD is his own personal take on each of the 12 cuts, i.e. "Centreline - Every songwriter needs a lonely hitchhiking song." It adds a nice personal dimension to perusing the CD jacket. "Snow on The Road" is a real nice Tom-Petty type ballad where he sings "Ever since I went on the road, she don't sing no rock and roll." There is a sadness and vulnerability in his voice that comes through clearest in this lyric. This song is also complemented by a really nice harmonica which Folkins played himself.

On "Jimmy", Folkins adds an electric guitar to the mix and it conjures up images of nice 80s rock. Singing "just like him old man", I wonder if Folkins was looking for a retro sound, but it works. The album continues on a songwriting journey, telling tales and describing life. The last track "Numb" is an interesting listen in comparison with the other songs. It's the hardest, driving song on the album. Makes me wonder if deep down inside Doug really wants to rock his heart out. Time will tell. One suggestion I would make is for Folkins to beef up his voice a bit. His voice has a very pleasant quality, yet a few times it found its way off-key. I think with stronger vocals, he will be a real contender in the singer/songwriter folk/pop scene. Overall, it's a pleasing listen.

http://www.zeballos.com/folkins
fenwick@zeballos.com
(250) 288-3375 or (250) 956-3260