ROB LUTES

Recognized for his superb songwriting and uncommon melodic sense, singer-songwriter Rob Lutes releases The Bravest Birds on January 29, a sixth album that will please the converted and seduce the non-initiated. Lutes will take to the road this winter with shows in Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes before several festivals this summer. The Bravest Birds is an exquisite collection of songs that inhabits the intersection of blues, folk, Americana, and the contemporary singer-songwriter genre, a musical universe well-suited to Lutes’ unmistakable voice. He also displays his extraordinary musical chops on the blazing instrumental, “Turning Point.” The album features a group of Montreal's finest musicians including longtime collaborator Rob MacDonald, Rob Fahie (Nikki Yanofsky), Mark Nelson (Ian Kelly), Denis Ducharme, Dale Boyle, Josh Zubot, Fred Bouchard and Josephine von Soukonnov. Since his first release, Gravity, in 2000, Rob Lutes has been steadily building a collection of moving meditations on life and love. A long-time Montreal resident who originally hails from the town of  Rothesay, New Brunswick, Lutes has built a solid reputation thanks to his impassioned live performances and the superb quality of his songs. He is a former Kerrville and ISC winner and a Maple Blues, CFMA and Lys Blues nominee. Lutes’ previous studio release, 2009’s widely acclaimed Truth & Fictionspent three months in the EuroAmericana Top 10. His 2011 album, Rob Lutes & Rob MacDonald – LIVE received stellar reviews and spent more than a year on the Roots Music Report Top 40. Early Reviews of The Bravest Birds: “I love The Bravest Birds even more than 2008’s Truth and Fiction, which I consider to be one of the top ten folk/roots albums of the last decade.” Julie Miller, CFLX "Great songs, fantastic vocals, super playing and excellent production. What the hell else do you want from a record?!" Rick Haworth, Legendary Quebec Guitarist, Producer (Daniel Belanger, Michel Rivard) "An incredibly strong mid-career set of songs. I've always been a fan of his mature writing and exceptional voice, but this record is a new triumph." Matt Large, Hello Darlin Productions "Tears, laughter, dragons. He digs deep, and it's a thing of beauty. I'm not just enjoying listening to it, I'm being inspired -- for me, the best songwriters make me want to write my own. I don't know why, but as someone trapped in a dry patch, I think I'll be listening to a lot more of this CD."
Alyssa Wright - ***** (five stars) "Bullseye for the sixth time. You could call him a rootsy singer songwriter but his albums have a richer and fuller sound than this term might suggest. His strongest ace is his husky, warm voice, with which he sometimes almost whispers but which also has a lot of power."