Track listing: America The Beautiful Today, Hit and Run, How To Write A Song, Last Dance for New Orleans, Let It Rock, Me, Myself and I, Mississippi River, Mr. Econo-Man, Simple Gifts, Sunny Side

Colin Roy Monette is a Minneapolis-based singer/songwriter/guitarist whose last solo release, Music is Medicine 20/20, was recorded entirely on his phone's memo app. Still, it served a number of purposes during the pandemic of getting his song ideas onto paper, arranged, recorded, and released. With that successful exercise in the past, his new release Simple Gifts gives both Colin and his fans a chance to hear the result of a full-fledged recording process.

The record is still pretty sparse, just leveled up in the overall production and recording quality. Monette brought in upright bassist Bruce Morrow and Mikkel Beckman on washboard and percussion. This results in a classic-sounding album a la 8-1/2 Souvenirs and Hot Club of Cowtown -- in the absence of extra post-production magic, Simple Gifts sounds more like a live show than a creation in a fancy studio. Although in this case, Monette chose the renowned Flowers Recording Studio (Jayhawks, Lizzo, Brian Setzer). 

Fidelity aside, Colin's voice is endearing and even velvety at times. If you told me this was a lost Elvis demo, it wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibility. Monette's got talent, both vocally and on guitar--by day he's an accomplished and studied guitar student and teacher. His leads don't flash, though, so as to not take focus away from the music. He keeps things tight and tasteful, putting the song before showing off chops. The skill, for those who know, lies in the tastiness of his licks.

The songs range from the sweet title track, a heartfelt message for the listener; while tracks like "Mr. Econo-Man" have more of the juke joint swing to 'em. Simple Gifts is an efficiently recorded album with its richness being found in the quality of the songs themselves. You might find the album transports you to a simpler time, before flash-in-the-pan pop stars ruled the airwaves. Colin Roy Monette is authentic as they come, and Simple Gifts is a record you should check out. Do that, follow him on socials, and stream the album in its entirety--start that journey at colinroymonette.com.