Trevor James – From A Bedroom That Is No Longer Mine

Artist: Trevor James
Album: From A Bedroom That Is No Longer Mine

Written by: Chiara DiAngelo

Sometimes you have to tear away at the layers and put your personal hopes, fears, and memories on display for the rest of the world to experience. Typically backed by The Perfect Gentlemen, Toronto’s Trevor James goes it alone on this album. Already a pretty chill folk-rock band, The Perfect Gentlemen are however buoyed by upbeat melodies. In comparison, From A Bedroom That Is No Longer Mine represents a further paring back to pure, unrefined stripped-down simplicity. With only an acoustic guitar that is itself at times indistinct, all that remains is James’ voice. Luckily, the unique depth to his voice is his greatest strength and the stark craftsmanship of the album works to properly showcase this.

It can be a gutsy endeavour to take on a project such as this; with nothing to hide behind, James weaves introspective and reflective stories with only the help of a few simple chords. There is a sense of cathartic renewal described through album opener “Become New.” Continuing on, the album toes the line between multiple emotions: “I Knew My Grandfather Like I Know the West Coast” shares tranquil familial memories, whereas your heart bleeds for the painful confusion James expresses on the tender and touching “Posthumous Smile.” The furthest departure from the remainder of the album, the harmonica and echoey distortion on “The Opening Act” give this track a rich and soulful quality that instantly grabs you. The most dynamic of the seven, it is also the one you can best picture being played live. A few choice humorous lyrics on sprightly closing track “Way Worse” pulls you out of your peaceful meditation to share a few laughs with James before the album ends.

A quiet album, this one is meant to be consumed in the comfort of your home. An excellent choice to listen to before bed, sit back, let the steam waft up from your tea cup, and soon enough James will have set your mind at ease. The second in a singer-songwriter series from Blacktop Records, From A Bedroom That Is No Longer Mine can be purchased on Bandcamp, with the option of physical copies coming with a companion poem book.