MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: SUZIE VINNICK - SHAKE THE LOVE AROUND

After a couple of acoustic albums, this Ontario favourite singer/songwriter from the roots field returns with a full band album. It's hard to single out one aspect to focus on with Vinnick, as she writes strong songs and sings with tons of emotion, plus plays both guitar and bass with authority. And when she does choose a cover, she makes it her own. Check out her version of Percy Mayfield's Danger Zone, which she does solo, just her and her bass, pouring her heart in to the vocal, and making us realize the world's still in an uproar these days.

With the full band, Vinnick turns up the soulful sounds, with Find Some Freedom an inspiring gospel-flavoured number featuring a guest solo blast from Kevin Breit, and Colin Linden doing the same on slide for Crying A River. On Creaking Pines, Vinnick conjures up a dark, creepy and slow groove over writer Kent Theaker's ghost story, with a spooky vocal to help the mood. But then she turns right around on All I Wanna Do, with a great bit of fun in All I Wanna Do with its slinky New Orleans vibe. There are several co-writes with some of the best blues-roots folks around, including Steve Strongman, Treasa Lavasseur, and Matt Andersen. That last pair close off the set with Drift Away, a thoughtful, dignified ballad that really shows off Vinnick's luminous voice. Again, it's a real toss-up as to which kind of song here I admire most, and thank goodness we get lots to choose from.