Ten Year Drought

Seven years ago, one-time Toronto resident Adam Fox decided he had enough of the plastic and smog of the big city and fled for the relatively tranquil environs of the Windsor, ON region. There he formed Ten Year Drought, a collective that stays true to their rustic surroundings. Theirs is a sound coloured with echoes, whispers and gently plucked strings tinted with a gentle twang. On their third release, they carry on their tradition of worn introspection and weighty ruminations on matters of woe. Singer Adam Fox's wispy voice is front and centre on songs where he is seldom accompanied by anything more than an acoustic guitar, with Spartan keyboard, cello and drum parts occasionally adding a little extra body to the proceedings. Ironically, the best track actually may be a cover; "Long Ride Home” is a heartfelt rendition of Massachusetts folkster Patty Griffin’s snapshot of post-funeral regret and loneliness. The truth is, though, Memoranda is a bit of an up and down affair. For every song that achieves poignancy through simplicity and candour (i.e. "Kill This Month”), there is one that is slow-moving country folk fodder.