(Kelp Records,  Nov. 13, 2006)

Andy Swan is a likeable guy. I’ve seen him live twice (once fronting The Michael Parks and again opening for Nathan Lawr—as reviewed here) and he always comes across as your everyday, approachable guy who just happens to be a talented tunesmith when it comes time to hit the stage. It’s this amicable, sincere and never self-important nature that comes across on Ottawa, his sophomore solo release.

Boasting an enviable cast of contributors by way of Rolf Klausener (The Acorn), Jon Bartlett (Kelp founder/Rhume frontman), John J. Higney (The Two-Minute Miracles) and Jim Bryson, Ottawa hits all the right notes on paper. Thankfully, the recorded output ain’t too bad either, as the result is a well-realized and intimate country-folk record that will undoubtedly provide a warm ember to stoke the fire of what promises to be a cold winter.

Pleasant, tuneful and short, Ottawa doesn’t overstay its welcome, as it clocks in at 32:28 (for 14 songs!). To be honest, this is probably a smart move, as 4 minutes of “Brian Jones” might have grated slightly, but instead we’re given a quirky, but melodic ode to a founding member of the Rolling Stones that doesn’t overstay the novelty. The same can be said for “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service,” as it’s a cute song with a great riff and jaunty rhythm (to say nothing of the fantastic fiddle!), but is fully aware of being a one trick-pony. While this may come across as just as much a criticism as praise, there’s a lot to be said for someone who has not only mastered brevity, but made good use of it.

That said, however brief they may be, each of the tracks on Ottawa has something viable to contribute to the overall whole. Be it the rollicking harmonies of lead-single “Can I Pay You with Sunshine?”, the surprisingly sweet finger-picked gem that is “Starfucker,” or the more upbeat rock ‘n’ roll of “The Truth About Thieves,” Ottawa is an album of diverse and endearing ditties that only gets more likeable with each listen.

Not breaking any rules or setting any trends (but then again, as he so eloquently offers: “You may be as free as some saxophone free-jazz, but still there are some rules you must abide”), Andy Swan has delivered a shameless record of sweet country and folk tunes that doesn’t need to break the mould, as it does what it does just fine.

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Take a listen to a few tracks from Ottawa below (right-click, “Save Link As” to download):

Andy Swan - Can I Pay You with Sunshine?

Andy Swan - The Sound of Snowflakes Falling

Catch Andy Swan doing an in-store at Soundscapes on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 8:00pm or keep up to date on his Myspace page. Also, check out Zunior for a free download of The Sunshine EP or to buy a digital copy of Ottawa.