SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ANTHONY LECLAIR – WHISKY MOON: LIVE FROM THE FLOOR

Anthony Leclair
Whisky Moon: Live From The Floor
Independent

After years of writing about other artists and having spent the pandemic live streaming originals and covers, Deep River, Ont.- based singer-songwriter Anthony Leclair has released his debut solo album. Whisky Moon: Live From The Floor is a stirring collection of stripped-down acoustic songs that sway between the blues and folk tradition.

Whisky Moon: Live From The Floor opens with the title track and one of the album’s strongest numbers. “Whisky Moon” is a bluesy acoustic track that sees Leclair’s vocals take the spotlight with a disarming tone that is equal parts warm as it is haunted. Had Layne Stanley lived and started a second act as a folk-blues artists – in tone with those from the ‘30s, much like a modern Lead Belly – you’d have “Whiskey Moon”. While the acoustic blues sound runs rampant throughout the album, Leclair also mixes in folk elements as on the following “Give It”.  His seamless use of folk and the blues truly likens Whiskey Moon: Live From The Floor to that of a generation of artists from long ago, making for an invigorating listening experience.

Throughout the course of 13 songs, Leclair will have you drawn in from his arresting vocals, his stripped-down approach to the guitar, and his lyrics which dance between witty and emotionally longing. His performance is intimate and vulnerable with a tone that shifts dramatically to convey a range of the human condition. With songs like the Irish drinking song, “A Prayer To The Spirits”, the outlaw country “45 Shots”, the melancholic “Let Go” – which in particular gives off an Alice In Chains acoustic vibe à la “Nutshell” – and the sweet melodies of “Amber Dawn” and “Don’t Miss Me Till You’re Gone”, there are plenty of highlights to enjoy on Whisky Moon: Live From The Floor.

Like a travelling blues troubadour of days long gone, Leclair only needs his voice and guitar to create a compelling album. Whisky Moon: Live From The Floor is a testament to this as well as Leclair’s capabilities and voice as a songwriter. This, coupled with a raw performance style, Whisky Moon: Live From The Floor is a truly genuine record that can be felt from deep within as Leclair bares his soul.

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