The singles “Give It Up” and “Tell Me When It Rains” are airing on radio across North America, and “Rains” has already been added to the Spotify editorial playlists “Contemporary Blend” and “Fresh Finds Canada.” In just a matter of weeks, this new act reached 20k monthly listeners and music videos for both songs have also garnered more than 40K views. From the opening electric guitar hook to the irresistible “ooh-ooh-ooh”s in the chorus, to the occasional but emphatic blasts of brass, “Give It Up” is as perfect a power-pop-rock anthem as Coldplay or U2 ever delivered. Classic soul ballad “Tell Me When It Rains,” deftly uses a global warming and drought as a metaphor for a desert romance.

Fueled by an energetic pedal steel guitar and a plucky banjo, “Through the Darkness” is as close as the pop-oriented Belfountain gets to country music, and sounds like a perfect outtake from Blue Rodeo’s Five Days in July album. The Americana-influenced, pedal steel-fueled “Won’t Turn Back” goes full gospel, reflecting on the way forward from the personal sins of the singer’s past, which serves as a metaphor for the future path of Canada in a post-reconciliation environment after residential schools’ mistreatment of Indigenous peoples. “We Will Rise” is an upbeat, inspirational track that advises moving on from a past relationship, to “just head for the sunset.” The western  vibes are accentuated by Justin Abedin’s twangy guitar.

“Rattle On” is about persevering despite getting older, and just getting on with it. The song features, among other oddities, a harpsichord and flute choir. The overall effect is one of a moody, baroque dirge that explodes into epic, emotional choruses. “Worst Enemy” is the most eclectic song on the album, featuring a fiddle solo, a 6/4 time signature and a congas-driven breakdown. The song is an admission that many of the singer’s problems are self-created. With piano arpeggios and vocal melodies reminiscent of Rufus Wainwright, and subject matter like the Beatles’ “Penny Lane,” “Fall Into The Past” takes a trip down memory lane, to suburban childhood. The song captures a longing nostalgia, but recognizes that the lessons of the  past can help lead one through the present.

“Rocks” is an outlier on the album, with trip-hop and jazzier vibes, it’s no wonder it features singer-songwriter Tia Brazda, one of Canada’s most recognizable voices in jazz. The song is sung as a duet between two lovers separated by distance.

“Some Hearts” closes off the album asking the question, “if you could do it all again, would you?” It’s sung with Colleen Brown, a dynamic folk singer-songwriter in her own right. The song progresses from a light intro into the kind of anthemic chorus that comes so naturally to Graham. In the powerful, emotional bridge, he proclaims that “the story isn’t written.” The song features Graham playing a variety of instruments, including banjo and mandolin.

RIYL: The Strumbellas, The Lumineers, The Arkells, Blue Rodeo, Mayer Hawthorne, Rufus Wainwright, U2