Songs of the Wild West Island

Loomer | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 25, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Newtone Records
• ASIN: B000L42490
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #527,603 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An album for the Heart, June 7, 2007

By 

James T. Sorensen - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Songs of the Wild West Island (Audio CD)

Scott Loomer, leader of this Canadian band, is a songwriter of unqualified vision. Like Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy and Blue Rodeo's Greg Keelor, Loomer is capable of encapsulating raw feeling and humor by way of cryptic lyrics and detailed musical arrangements. Songs of the Wild West Island, the band's second effort (don't miss their first!), is a consistently challenging and poetically lovely work, full of literary allusions and just the right amount of alt-country swagger.

"You say your name is Paul/I think you think it's Jesus," sings Loomer on "Bang the Nails," one of several cuts with underlying (however obscure) religious imagery. Elsewhere, Loomer's concerns turn to matters of the heart with equally metaphorical results. "I am just some old ice cream, all cold and hard and grainy/Hiding underneath the bread at the bottom of your freezer," Loomer sings on "Caramel Heart" as the band (especially keyboardist Mike Taylor) plays understatedly behind him. The guitars on this cut drive the song and are outstanding.

Songs of the Wild West Island is a heady and heartening display of emotion and quiet intensity. Rarely settling for the norm, Loomer makes music of a distinct quality, songs that assess the past, present and future with equal apprehension.

Highly recommended. Carmel Heart alone is worth the price of this CD.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but not great..., May 22, 2007

By 

MFM "KingKong of Sax" (Kalamazoo) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Songs of the Wild West Island (Audio CD)

I'll start by saying I am a big fan of Loomer.I loved their last album.
Maybe I expected too much from this one? Yes the production is great.Yes the harmonies and guitars sound wonderful but...there's not a great melody to be had among any of the songs. I'd like to be able to walk from this album with at least one song I can't get out of my head.Maybe that speaks to the level of songwriting today.Lot's of good but no great songs.
I would however say if you are a Loomer fan get it.They've given us something good but I expect them to do better.Viva Loomer!