Led by former Saskatchewan politician (and current doctor) Ryan Meili and consisting of a set of area musicians in good standing, Blue Umbrella blasts huge chunks of prairie rock into the atmosphere. One part jackhammer and two parts steady-rollin', the band sounds familiar, but with an odd dialect.

Blue Umbrella Recklessly Yours (self-released)

Yes, these boys could have played Farm Aid. And yes, they wear their (progressive) politics on their sleeves like so many tattoos. There's a lot more Springsteen than Jayhawks going on, but the sound never gets overbearing. The songs themselves are taut and gorgeous. When it's time to go, the band leaves the stage.

Even when the songs start to cook, the band keeps the temperature even. Maybe it's instinctual, and maybe it’s a Canadian thing. My one piece of advice would be to let go just a bit more. But that's a quibble. For a message-based band, this is far from overbearing.

Ringing riffage and songs that roll on almost as far as the horizon. Blue Umbrella has its niche down, and it turns in a solid set. I hope these folks get out and play. That's bound to create new ideas. By the end of another listen, I can almost smell the rain on the wind.

Jon Worley