Corin Raymond: Hobo Jungle Fever Dreams (Local Rascal)
Winnipeg-born Corin Raymond is back with yet another linguistic masterpiece.
Hobo Jungle Fever Dreams (see what he did there?) is full of fun wordplay right from the opening track, Hard on Things — "I’m hard on my body, I’m hard on my bones / I’m hard on every tool I own." From there it just gets better with songs like Morning Glories that really come alive with it’s vivid "pigeon conductors," "drunken John Priners" and "stray cat collectors."
Under the Belly of the Night is Raymond’s heartfelt ode to those classic artists who’ve passed on before their time… and those radio stations that keep the music alive.
Raymond may not be the best singer around but, like Neil Young or Townes Van Zandt, he’s truly one of a kind, with his rarely heard beat-poet influence and musical timing.
Whether real or made up, it’s apparent Raymond really cares about the characters who reside in his exceptional and engaging songs. ★★★★
Download: Morning Glories
— Bruce Leperre
