PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Fisher, Jeremy

AMAZON.CA
Seconds into Jeremy Fishers Goodbye Blue Monday, listeners might think that they have accidentally queued up a "Greatest Hits of the Sixties" collection. Fishers Scar That Never Heals kicks off with an acoustic guitar strum heavily influenced by Neil Diamonds Cherry Cherry, while the subsequent melody feels like it was culled from the book of Simon and Garfunkel circa Feelin Groovy. Rather than seeming like a cheap imitation, though, Fishers emulations of such classic melodies simply show how joyful and charismatic Fishers songwriting skills and vocals are. The disc is more than just sonically satisfying. It has lyrical teeth as well. Fisher has a tendency to seek out news stories and then explore the human element behind them. On this--his third disc--topics range from the tortured prisoners at Abu Grabe (American Girls) to the contentious shooting of a man at a Miami airport (Lay Down (Ballad of Rigoberto Alpizar)). Largely focused on love, Fishers personal stories prove compelling as well, most notably the joy-laden Remind Me and the bluegrass-infused romance-gone-wrong song Jolene. With everything from jingle-jangle acoustic guitars (Sula) to his country-meets-folk harmonies to the production and musical contributions by fellow Canuck Hawksley Workman, Goodbye Blue Monday is a joy to listen to and offers a host of poignant--even downright educational--lyrics to boot. --Denise Sheppard