Jeremie Albino's career began as a teenager busking in his hometown of Toronto, where the singer quickly fell in love with performing and connecting with those who would stop to listen.
While singing and performing always came very naturally to Albino, connecting with songwriting was much more difficult. He would even say he hated it. That shifted when he signed with Easy Eye Sound for his first release on the label and fourth solo album, Our Time in the Sun.
Producer Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys connected Albino with some of Nashville’s premier songwriters to guide him through the process. With their mentoring and teaching, something clicked. He went from writing four to five songs in a year to four to five songs in a day.
On his Bandcamp page, Albino said, “I feel like I grew so much just being in a room with those guys, and I’m jazzed because it shows in the songs."
Backed by a Stax-like rhythm section including former Dap-Kings bassist Thomas Bernneck, funk band The Heliocentrics’ drummer Malcolm Catto, and session guitarist Tom Bukovac, the songs are steeped in soulful Americana, retro R&B, and a touch of the blues.
The album kicks off with soul number "I Don’t Mind Waiting" that starts off like an Otis Redding ballad and builds into a horn-infused love song. "Let Me Lay My Head" is a sultry, sexy number while "Baby Ain’t It Cold Outside" channels a more contemporary Nathaniel Rateliff style of soul.
"Rolling down the 405" was the first song recorded for this album — a song with a driving rhythm that set the tone for the whole record. "Dinner Bell" is swampy blues at its best with a seething guitar solo from Auerbach.
Blending retro with today, Albino has created a seamless collection of songs worthy of a full listen or five.
Must listens
- "I Don't Mind Waiting"
- "Baby Ain't It Cold Outside"
- "Let Me Lay My Head"
- "Rolling Down the 405"
- "Dinner Bell"
- "Hold Me Tight"