The Damn Truth – The Damn Truth
In 2021 Canadian rock and roll band The Damn Truth made sonic waves with Now Or Nowhere, one of the most vital (in both senses) rock and roll albums of recent years.
The Montrel band’s third album, which totally eclipsed psychedelic and stoner influenced debut Dear in the Headlights and weightier follow-up, Devilish Folk, took the band from their Canadian borders and homegrown fanbase to the hearts and musical minds of UK & European rock fans.
Now Or Nowhere thus became a hard rock and roll act to follow, but with their self-titled fourth album Lee-La Baum (lead vocals, guitar), Tom Shemer (lead guitar, vocals), PY Letellier (bass, vocals) and Dave Traina (drums, vocals) haven’t just followed it, they have bettered it, with invaluable assistance from renowned producer Bob Rock, who was also involved in much of Now Or Nowhere.
(Covid restrictions and scheduling curtailed Rock’s time on the last album; here however, having said yes immediately after hearing the band’s demos, he went all in – and it’s a collaboration that has paid off in spades).
Opener 'Be Somebody' sets the tone from the off with its up-tempo vibrancy, hooky harmonies and simple but effective chorus, where Lee-La Baum emphatically cries "I Just Wanna Be Somebody!"
As she hits a vocal high, Tom Shemer steps up to follow on with a scintillating lead break. A great start.
The staccato sharp, riff 'n' rhythm drive of 'I Just Gotta Let You Know' sports a melodically rockin’ chorus and another great lead spot from Shemer. As the song hits its conclusion, Lee-La Baum gives it the full Joplin, although there are also signs of a young Grace Slick (no bad comparisons).
The Joplin raunch is front and centre on 'Love Outta Luck,' a smoking hot, three-minute rock and roller that doesn’t let up from PY Letellier’s bass-riff intro to its sharp blast finish.
Utilising some rollicking piano backing (keys on the album come courtesy of Chris Gestrinis and Ben E. Shemer, who also adds percussion) is a nice, party-time touch.
The Montrel band’s third album, which totally eclipsed psychedelic and stoner influenced debut Dear in the Headlights and weightier follow-up, Devilish Folk, took the band from their Canadian borders and homegrown fanbase to the hearts and musical minds of UK & European rock fans.
Now Or Nowhere thus became a hard rock and roll act to follow, but with their self-titled fourth album Lee-La Baum (lead vocals, guitar), Tom Shemer (lead guitar, vocals), PY Letellier (bass, vocals) and Dave Traina (drums, vocals) haven’t just followed it, they have bettered it, with invaluable assistance from renowned producer Bob Rock, who was also involved in much of Now Or Nowhere.
(Covid restrictions and scheduling curtailed Rock’s time on the last album; here however, having said yes immediately after hearing the band’s demos, he went all in – and it’s a collaboration that has paid off in spades).
Opener 'Be Somebody' sets the tone from the off with its up-tempo vibrancy, hooky harmonies and simple but effective chorus, where Lee-La Baum emphatically cries "I Just Wanna Be Somebody!"
As she hits a vocal high, Tom Shemer steps up to follow on with a scintillating lead break. A great start.
The staccato sharp, riff 'n' rhythm drive of 'I Just Gotta Let You Know' sports a melodically rockin’ chorus and another great lead spot from Shemer. As the song hits its conclusion, Lee-La Baum gives it the full Joplin, although there are also signs of a young Grace Slick (no bad comparisons).
The Joplin raunch is front and centre on 'Love Outta Luck,' a smoking hot, three-minute rock and roller that doesn’t let up from PY Letellier’s bass-riff intro to its sharp blast finish.
Utilising some rollicking piano backing (keys on the album come courtesy of Chris Gestrinis and Ben E. Shemer, who also adds percussion) is a nice, party-time touch.
The tempo is dropped for 'If I Don’t Make It Home,' a southern shaded blues to the uncertainty of life ("If I don’t make it home tell my sister, tell my brother, give up the fight, you know you love each other").
How impactful is Lee-La Baum on this number? That she matches Beth Hart in impassioned, full-voiced delivery should tell you all you need to know (Miss Hart will be wishing she had come up with this number).
Add in another great solo from Tom Shemer, rock solid rhythmic support from Messrs Lettelier & Traina, and a gospel chorus finale, and you have not just a highlight of the album but one of The Damn Truth’s strongest songs to date.
The tempo is picked back up with the joyous if bittersweet expressions of 'Better This Way.'
An Americana-country meets melodic hard pop delight, the reflective, past romance lyricism is not without its glint-in-the-eye/ fun memory moments ("On your waterbed, oh baby, I discovered for the first time maybe, what love really was").
'Mirror Mirror' is the psychedelic rock and roll side of The Damn Truth.
A punchy, shimmering little number, it sports a touch of eastern intrigue and a cool drum pattern from Dave Traina (kudos here to the big drum sound throughout, courtesy of Bob Rock and Bryan Adams’ Warehouse Studios in Vancouver, where the album was recorded).
The celebratory 'All Night Long' rocks even harder on an insistent riff, sing-along chorus and, again, Lee-La Baum channelling Beth Hart (this time at her raunchiest).
'The Willow,' by contrast, flits from wistful acoustic passages that remind of Led Zeppelin and early Heart to full-blown Zeppelin swing on the heavyweight sections. Another highlight.
'Addicted' is the album’s sassy, funky and riffy American hard rock moment.
Indeed, such are the Steven Tyler-styled rock-rap deliveries from Lee-La Baum and the Joe Perry-esque six string licks from Tom Shemer, that it could be Aerosmith in a different time & space.
Add in an addictive (naturally) harmonised hook chorus and you have yet another winner.
The sharp-riffed and edgy 'Killer Whale' also rocks the rock, bolstered by angsty/ lost everything lyrism, with Lee-La Baum in full vibrato cry ("I heard you found someone new to love… Is she hot? Does she sing? Do you still do me in your dreams?").
The short, hymnal organ intro and bluesy beginnings of album closer 'The Dying Dove' slow build to a powerful and soulful rock-blues where light and shade add to the song’s dynamics.
Lee-La Baum’s vulnerable yet powerful deliveries reinforce the lyrical melancholy ("Maybe you and me, children of the moon and sea, were meant just to be lonely") while the big, gospel framed choruses towards song's end (shout out here to the additional vocals from Rebecca Shoichet and Alisia Lyne) raise the bar even higher.
Having decided four years ago it had to be Now or end up Nowhere, The Damn Truth have delivered a fittingly self-titled statement of exactly who they are and what they stand for – a musically vibrant and exuberant quartet who stand tall as the must see, must hear rock & roll band on the circuit.
And that’s no damn lie.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Album purchase links
CD & Vinyl: https://thedamntruth.bigcartel.com/
Digital/ Streaming: https://music.spectramusique.com/tdtalbum
How impactful is Lee-La Baum on this number? That she matches Beth Hart in impassioned, full-voiced delivery should tell you all you need to know (Miss Hart will be wishing she had come up with this number).
Add in another great solo from Tom Shemer, rock solid rhythmic support from Messrs Lettelier & Traina, and a gospel chorus finale, and you have not just a highlight of the album but one of The Damn Truth’s strongest songs to date.
The tempo is picked back up with the joyous if bittersweet expressions of 'Better This Way.'
An Americana-country meets melodic hard pop delight, the reflective, past romance lyricism is not without its glint-in-the-eye/ fun memory moments ("On your waterbed, oh baby, I discovered for the first time maybe, what love really was").
'Mirror Mirror' is the psychedelic rock and roll side of The Damn Truth.
A punchy, shimmering little number, it sports a touch of eastern intrigue and a cool drum pattern from Dave Traina (kudos here to the big drum sound throughout, courtesy of Bob Rock and Bryan Adams’ Warehouse Studios in Vancouver, where the album was recorded).
The celebratory 'All Night Long' rocks even harder on an insistent riff, sing-along chorus and, again, Lee-La Baum channelling Beth Hart (this time at her raunchiest).
'The Willow,' by contrast, flits from wistful acoustic passages that remind of Led Zeppelin and early Heart to full-blown Zeppelin swing on the heavyweight sections. Another highlight.
'Addicted' is the album’s sassy, funky and riffy American hard rock moment.
Indeed, such are the Steven Tyler-styled rock-rap deliveries from Lee-La Baum and the Joe Perry-esque six string licks from Tom Shemer, that it could be Aerosmith in a different time & space.
Add in an addictive (naturally) harmonised hook chorus and you have yet another winner.
The sharp-riffed and edgy 'Killer Whale' also rocks the rock, bolstered by angsty/ lost everything lyrism, with Lee-La Baum in full vibrato cry ("I heard you found someone new to love… Is she hot? Does she sing? Do you still do me in your dreams?").
The short, hymnal organ intro and bluesy beginnings of album closer 'The Dying Dove' slow build to a powerful and soulful rock-blues where light and shade add to the song’s dynamics.
Lee-La Baum’s vulnerable yet powerful deliveries reinforce the lyrical melancholy ("Maybe you and me, children of the moon and sea, were meant just to be lonely") while the big, gospel framed choruses towards song's end (shout out here to the additional vocals from Rebecca Shoichet and Alisia Lyne) raise the bar even higher.
Having decided four years ago it had to be Now or end up Nowhere, The Damn Truth have delivered a fittingly self-titled statement of exactly who they are and what they stand for – a musically vibrant and exuberant quartet who stand tall as the must see, must hear rock & roll band on the circuit.
And that’s no damn lie.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Album purchase links
CD & Vinyl: https://thedamntruth.bigcartel.com/
Digital/ Streaming: https://music.spectramusique.com/tdtalbum