Twilight Hotel

Review: Winnipeg Free Press

3 1/2

Music stores might have a hard time trying to place the new Twilight Hotel album into a genre category. Is it blues? Country? Folk? Yes, yes and yes. On their third album, Dave Quanbury and Brandy Zdan enlisted Colin Linden as their producer and his contributions are notable, but it’s the diversity of the songwriting and their willingness to experiment with different styles that makes Highway Prayer a success.

Opening number Viva La Vinyl is rooted in the blues. Impatient Love is a stirring slice of old-time country. The title track finds the duo in high and lonesome territory. Elsewhere they employ a dusty Tex-Mex shuffle on Slumber Queen and delve into some cabaret on Shadow of a Man.

As a bonus, the final track finds Linden and pianist Richard Bell (Janis Joplin/The Band) jamming together. The album is the final one Bell played on before his death from cancer last June and it’s a fitting tribute since Bell stands out on several tracks.

Review of Highway Prayer by Rob Williams, Winnipeg Free Press, Feb 16, 2008