With our official album release only a few scant weeks behind us, we’ve been rolling in sweet sweet album reviews and chortling in the same fashion as Scrooge McDuck swimming through his vault of gold coins. It’s been a great autumn so far! Our very heartfelt thanks to any and all folks who review albums in general, and ours in particular. Here’s a round-up of what’s being said about “in the year you were born”…

500 KHZ (our first review…& en francais!) — “L’occasion était idéale pour découvrir les chansons de leur nouvel album, In The Year You Were Born. […]Les arrangements sont bien dosés, les mélodies sont accrocheuses et Graydon James possède une superbe plume qu’il met en vedette grâce à de multiples comparaisons et métaphores afin de brillamment illustrer les musiques.”

Vue Weekly — “The latest album from this Galaxie Rising Star Award winner is a bunch of folk-roots tracks that are as poignant as they are heartfelt. There are no gimmicks or studio trickery here, just good old-fashioned musical talent that combine soaring three-part harmonies, a host of instruments and storytelling to create an end result that emotes and entertains.” 4/5 stars

Grayowl Point — “while bands with ampersands often focus on the lead singer, james does not hog the spotlight. laura spink, the band’s other main vocalist, carries her own weight on a few songs with dazzling results. […]in the year you were born is yet another triumph for graydon james & the young novelists, and likely one of many more to come.”

@diffuser.net — “Allez, je l’avoue, la première écoute ne m’avait pas laissé un souvenir impérissable… Sans doute parce que je m’étais souvenu tous les bons moments passés en compagnie de ce très bon EP sorti en 2011. Et tout à mon excitation de découvrir un album complet, j’en attendais sans doute trop… et avais tout simplement oublié qu’un album ne se construit pas comme un EP ! Sur un EP, il est tout à fait possible d’enchaîner les titres accrocheurs, alors qu’un album a une vie beaucoup plus étirée et complexe. Et la notion d’album ayant tendance à disparaître, il devient de plus en plus rare de tomber sur des albums comme ce In The Year You Were Born, où tout s’enchaîne si naturellement.”

Buying Shots For Bands — “Graydon James & the Young Novelists put together a great bill to celebrate their release of In the Year You Were Born. And to add to the great bill, the band made the atmosphere so welcoming by offering tea. […]The band is undeniably prolific, but the songs all come across as thoughtful and heartfelt. The same is true for their live show, as James’ sincerity on stage is obvious.”

Toro Magazine (reprinted in condensed form in t.o.night) — “James’s populist, friendly attitude serves him well. The chords to each song on in the year you were born are included under the lyrics. The album’s strongest song, “Standing Still,” is led not by he but vocalist Laura Spink. He seems deeply inspired by the prospect of working with, and for, other people[…] Despite introducing additional players and apparently encouraging their own creative input, in the year you were born never feels like a kitchen too full of cooks. The tracks are never left to wander. The longest song (natch) “Long Long Long” deserves to be. As eager as he may be to defer singular credit, James is still the essential centre of his group.” 4/5 stars

horseshoe tavern album release show (sept 7th). photo credit: jenny johnston