Artist: Ian James Bain
Album: Where I Wanna Be
Release Date: October 20, 2022
Genre: Country
Guelph, ON-based country artist Ian James Bain has unveiled his 10-track album, Where I Wanna Be, which includes his previous singles, “Something To Do” and “Road Song.”
The album begins with the title track, “Where I Wanna Be,” which starts off with a beautiful 30-second instrumental intro. Once Ian’s vocals are added to the mix, you have a track that covers all the bases. The lyrics, “Good wool shirt on a cold morning, Up before the sun and the wind is blowing, My favourite Gene MacLellan songs spinning on the table all night long, It’s the comfort that makes me love this place, Keeps me longing for the day I’m gone,” showcase Ian’s storytelling abilities, leaving the listener as if they have lived it. Another mesmerizing instrumental solo takes place midway through the track, leaving you with a desire for more.
“Dead Singers” immediately caught my attention with the title. Once I heard the lyrics, “All the sad dead singers say, You gotta be nothing to have something to sing, well to me that story’s sounding mighty stale,” and the storytelling that goes along with this track, I was hooked. Ian’s vocals on this track are also different, with a gruff tone, which suits him well. The mix of vocal stylings adds to the story he’s telling, and I would love to hear more songs like this one.
Ian shares on “Dead Singers,”
“This song is very much a criticism of how we romanticize the idea of “the troubled artist” and look past sometimes horrible and toxic behaviour because we like the art they produce. But maybe you don’t have to be a shitty person to write good songs? Maybe we can treat the people around us with respect and make good art without hurting the ones we love in the process.”
The album, as a whole, is full of good ol’ country songs with a classic feel, plus some Americana vibes are thrown in, so you can’t go wrong!