Five Star Homeless

Prairie Farm Report & Western Producer Hailing from the same Saskatoon roots scene that’s home to Shuyler Jansen, the Deep Dark Woods and Little Miss Higgins, Five Star Homeless are the most ragged of the bunch, drawing the bulk of their inspiration from Handsome Ned and No Depression-era Uncle Tupelo, with a large helping of pure twang thrown in for good measure. This latest release sounds every bit like the live-off-the-floor recording it is, and while it doesn’t quite equal the energy the group put out in an actual live setting, singer/guitarist Matty Griffith’s songs contain enough pure heart and soul to compensate. Most often, he sounds like a young Fred Eaglesmith, but with a bittersweet, David Lowery-esque sense of humour, best heard in "My El Camino” and "70’s Sideburns.” The barebones production of Prairie Farm Report takes some getting used to but it’s a good introduction to a band that promise to be a fixture on the Canadian touring circuit in short order.