Throughout his career, Jason Collett has been a stable guitarist and member of the background scene for lesser known bands like The Andrew Cash Band and Bird. Collett's most famous association is Broken Social Scene, a band with four completed albums that has flourished just beneath the public radar since 1999. Collett's community of bands may be the forerunners of the Canadian Indie front but Collett himself has never forced his way into the spotlight so efficiently as on his new album, Idols of Exile. The album is Collett's second solo effort after taking a brief hiatus from the music scene to raise a family.
Collett has not clung to the sound of his past associations, particularly the experimental sound overtly reinforced on Broken Social Scene's recent release. Instead, Collett boasts a voice and a song writing style that can be associated with a more old school, Americana sound.
Idols of Exile carefully minds the classic rock structures of influences like Bob Dylan and Kris Kristofferson, but still retains chamber music and folk tinges that make it modern and lively.
The songs are full of piano, violin and several of Collett's friends from the Arts & Crafts label. Several members from Broken Social Scene, including Leslie Feist, Collett's new touring partner also trying her hand at a solo career, accompany Collett on a few songs. But the large presence of guests on the album fails to overshadow Collett's ability to stand alone as a musician.
The album starts off strong with up beat tracks like Fire\ and ""Hangover Days."" Collett's sad-eyed optimism continues on the catchy angst of ""We All Lose One Another."" The slower songs lack the undeniable charm and memorable quality of Collett's faster paced songs, but still remain well-written. Collett's lyrics reflect the poignant and humble experience of a man with Jack Kerouac's beatnik mindset. ""We're fugitives of American portions / caught on the sleeve of yesterday's conquered / from the fresh cut grass out on the interstate.""
On his website, Collett not only cites the album as a creative release, but as release of his holed-up childhood in Toronto suburbia. This is especially clear on the album's youth anthem ""Almost Summer"" which speaks of small town disaffection embodied in verses like ""lemon gin, cornfields plowed under / cigarettes, Southern Comfort / with your friends, / behind the bleachers.""
Though he may not be quite so established as a solo musician, Jason Collett has the sound of Wilco's Jeff Tweedy and potential on par with contemporary musicians like Ryan Adams. Idols of Exile is a carefully constructed album that pays close attention to the foundations of rock music, but still exudes the carefree charisma of today's alt-country sound.
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