Jason Collett

While Collett’s last album, the excellent Idols of Exile, was marked by the appearance of many of his Broken Social Scene counterparts, this is not the case here. Paso Mino, his touring band, take the backing reins this time around and the results are quite different. Where Idols had a chaotic pop sheen and expansive scope, Here’s to Being Here is more rough and tumble, and somewhat predictable. Collett comes close to some roots rock but keeps everything snappy enough to not fully steer the ship into unknown waters. Take supremely catchy album highlight "Papercut Hearts,” which has a propulsive finale where the rock is on full display. Actually, all the songs here are good but it all seems too polished and composed to fully tap into the emotion that came through on Idols. "Papercut Hearts” and "Out of Time” connect because they push the edges and, thus, crackle where songs like "Not Over You” tend to drift away. It’s obvious from the songs here that Collett is a very gifted songwriter but he seems to be playing it unnecessarily safe.