Leeroy Stagger shows maturity and diversity on “Dream It All Away’

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Lethbridge folk roots musician Leeroy Stagger shows new maturity and introspection on his tenth CD “Dream it All Away.”Click Here to hear Dream it All Away
He keeps getting better with age as the CD features plenty of catchy hooks plus some really pretty guitar and piano playing. Lyrically the CD explores a variety of real world topics, not to mention a few different musical styles.


  The fantastic sounding CD is full of bright sounding roots rock throughout. The lyrics are real, earnest but tinged with darkness.
The CD begins with the hook filled “Something Beautiful. Three perfect chords played together.
“ Happy Too” is a highlight because of the melody and chiming electric 12 string guitar.


 One of my favourite tracks is “Living In America” which has some of the most vivid and impassioned lyrics about homelessness and some really beautiful violin playing.
 He picks up the tempo from more pop influenced roots rock to touch on his inner punk rocker on a couple of uptempo tracks like the  Dylanesque country foot stomper “New Music Biz Blues” about life in the music business which in addition  to the Bob Dylan influence also is reminiscent of Corb Lund.


 The other dark rocker is“ Poison the Well” a swamp blues number reminding me a little of Todd Snider.
 It also has a beautifully overdriven, ’60s ish guitar solo.
 “Dream” on the other hand his a sombre piano driven minor key number. It is one of  the more mellower moments on the CD  including the sombre ballad “Feel it All.”
 “Ten Long Years” is another mellow number winding down the CD with some moving fiddle  playing.
The CD ends with another slower more introspective number “ Angry Young Man,” as Stagger reflects on his past.


— By Richard Amery, L.A. beat editor

 CD: Dream It All Away
 Artist: Leeroy Stagger

Genre: Roots rock/ country

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