Album Review: Blue Rodeo, Many A Mile

Next year marks the 35th anniversary of Blue Rodeo's iconic debut Outskirts. And over that time they've travelled thousands of miles to play thousands of shows to thousands nationally and internationally. Thankfully the band made the most of the global pandemic downtime to create an album that makes one believe things at some point will be back to normal. And regardless of whether you prefer Jim Cuddy's knack for roots radio gems  like the gentle "I WIll Wait For You" or Greg Keelor's adventurous sonic treks like "Symmetry Of Starlight," it's good to know they're still relevant.

The lead single "When You Were Wild" sets the stage for a roots-riddled romp that moves from punchy tunes to "I Owe It To Myself" to alt-country treasures like Keelor's "Deep Dark Well." The highlight is the amusing touring reflections on "The Opening Act" as Keelor cites cities, venues and "starting to rust" after years gigging.

Part of the charm with Blue Rodeo is you know what to expect from them. And they deliver on the punchy combo of "Criticize" and "Never Like This Before." They might be a bit longer in the tooth but hopefully have many a mile to go yet.

Many A Mile was released December 3, 2021 on Warner Music Canada.
Listen to it here.