Album tracks
1. Big Sky Blues (Chodan/Clarke, 3:05). A warp-speed song about yearning for the prairies from rainy Vancouver.
2. That’s How the Summer Slips Away (Chodan/Clarke, 3:50). Folk ballad. A drive along the North Shore of the St. Lawrence becomes a farewell to summer – and a promise of love.
3. Somewhere Else Tonight (Chodan/Clarke, 3:58). Bittersweet memories are set off by the Christmas trees in a parking lot in the rain.
4. Cool, Cool Walls (Chodan/Clarke, 3:20). Gentle fingerstyle guitar and a dreamy vocal bring back a child’s impressions of a hot summer day.
5. Belmont Days (Chodan/Gorr, 2:42). An ode to Montreal’s late, lamented Belmont Park that takes off like an amusement-park ride.
6. Tread Softly (Shizgal, 3:16). A solemn but uplifting song about a final farewell.
7. Wooden Ships (Chodan/Clarke, 3:10). This hymn-like tribute to the Sailors’ Church – Notre Dame de Bonsecours in Montreal -- has already been sung at anniversary celebrations at the chapel.
8. Let It Rain (Chodan/Clarke, 2:47). Rain can make the difference between a good crop and a disaster on the prairies. This uptempo song with its chime-like harmonies is a farmer’s plea that the skies open up.
9. Still Keeping Time (Shizgal, 3:22). This lush waltz is a salute to 50 years of love in three-four time.
10. My Valley (Gorr, 2:56). A flight over the Rocky Mountains sparks a mellow reverie.
11. River Song (Chodan/Clarke, 3:52). A sad story that is repeated too often in the North End of Winnipeg
12. I Wonder If You’re Sleeping Tonight (Chodan/Clarke, 3:45). Long-distance love in a sleepless night.
13. Goodbye Again (Chodan/Clarke, 2:35). A high-velocity travelling song from the point of view of the one who’s left behind.
14. La Rive (Chodan/Clarke, 5:22). For centuries, boatbuilders thrived along the St. Lawrence River east of Quebec City. Then a way of life disappeared.
Guest musicians
Gaston Bernard, mandolin
Geoff Somers, fiddle
Rick Haworth, resophonic guitar
Press
"River Song is a fiery Canadian bluegrass joy." - Vancouver Province