Staring out the window, it’s only the middle of the afternoon and yet darkness has started creeping in.  A cold wind howls out of the north and  the trees seem to be wrapping their branches around themselves in a futile attempt to stay warm.  Even the good things going through your mind seem to have a haunting character about them.  Using a combination of electric organ and strings in the background as a foil to a raw guitar sound, Trevor Alguire and his co-producer Jason Jaknunas have managed to capture that feeling on several tracks of Alguire’s soon to be released record, Miles Away.
Wounded Soul tells the tale of a one-sided relationship, “I’ll never stop talking about you, you’ll likely never mention me again”. Â The Long Shot talks about hope, even when you know it’s not likely to work out. Â Long Gone Away applies the sound I mentioned to a life in small town Canada that’s never going to be the same, while Rusty Old Strings is a love song for a favorite old guitar.
Not everything on the album is melancholy, though. Â Miles Away, the opening track, is a rock anthem to a long drive home. Â In the Palm Of My Hand brings an alt country edge with some nice dual guitar work. Â So Sad Lately is a sort-of Carl Perkins 50’s rock and roll tune complete with a little doo-wop and drum sticking that Sam Phillips couldn’t have done a better job producing.
 Even though he’s Canadian, Trevor has found a lot more of a fan base in Europe than North America and being a smart guy he focuses much of his touring effort there.  With all the fragmentation of the music industry and lack of any tried-and-true path to broad exposure, there are some really good artists you’ll never hear if you don’t look around for them. Trevor Alguire and Miles Away is a great reward for putting in that effort.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.