MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: ENGAGE - THE TIME HAS COME

Energize! is a roots combo that plays all over southern N.B., comprised of singer-songwriters Carla Bonnell and Rick Bartlett (ex-Howard Brook Band, for those with verryyy long memories). But when they're not a duo, they expand to a full band, adding in drummer Larry Steele and bass player/singer Ray Dunham. With Carla also covering keyboards, that gives them a big lineup, with three vocalists and three songwriters, called Engage. That project has taken over their activities for the past several months, resulting in the group's first album, The Time Has Come. With that many writers and singers on board, well, it's a luxury, and they make the most of it. There are a full 15 songs on the album, all three contributing their efforts, with the lead vocals shared, and lots of group backup singing too.

The album moves back and forth between folk, rock, and country, and a little bit of each in every track. The themes will be instantly recognizable to most Maritimers, including hard work, hard times, and getting past all that and enjoying life anyway. It's the kind of songwriting that reflects everybody in the hall or bar on a Friday night, the audience and the band, happy to be there, but acknowledging life can suck sometimes. "Nothing in the wishing well but dust," sings Bonnell in "No Wishes In The Well," but Bartlett has the anecdote to that in the very next song, "This One," an uptempo, positive blues. In it, he acknowledges not everything went great, he hasn't made a fortune, but he wouldn't have it any other way, screw the money and fame: "I must admit it sure sounds nice/But who would I have become?/Maybe in another life, but I really like this one." That's a pretty great attitude, and it rings throughout the whole album from each writer.

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Don't expect major league recording sounds and samples here, these are working musicians, probably with day jobs as well, and they've made it themselves, grabbing time when they can, getting together over two provinces, recording in "Carla's Kitchen and Larry's Basement (NB and NS)." So, rough but certainly ready, and you can feel the hard work and happiness that went into the project. The folks that come out to see either Energize! or Engage on those Friday nights will hear their stories reflected back in the album. Speaking of gigs, Engage will be part of the upcoming Living Roots Festival, coming up in Fredericton June 8 to 11.