Rube & Rake raise the bar considerably on their second full-length offering.

The aptly titled, “Leaving With Nothing” fits snugly in the Canadian folk tradition laid out by Ian tyson and Gordon Lightfoot in the 1960’s and early 70’s and subsequently, Gene MacLellan, Bob Ruzicka and others in the latter decade.

The Lightfoot influence is evident from the opening track with its jaunty melody and drifter’s barroom rant.

“Lonesome Song” follows those steps, lyrically a ‘determined troubadour’s creed’.

By the time we’re introduced to the third number, “What Will”, a more poignant perspective of road and thoughts stretch out ahead, culminating with the whimsical realization that “there’s no use in knowing what’s down the line”.

“Fleeting Moment”, a Jakob Dylan/Wallflowers style track presents our hero struggling with a full gamut of emotions making it one of the highlights and centerpiece of the album. The song is all-consuming, the drum marches and a potent, dense organ pulls us along at a perfect pace.

This is nicely followed by “10-33”, a tune featuring some lovely lap steel accentuated by the singer’s thought process shifting and stirring on a ponderous journey sure to continue.

“Leaves Of Gold” glitters with delicacy and paints one of the album’s most reflective lyrics, also one of the top 2 or 3 songs and unique in its folksy-psychedelic heaviness, tailing off as confusion meets clarity.

A wistfulness carries the final third of this album suggesting the traveller-seeker is growing tired of harsh soul-searching and now yearns for rest but is wise enough to know “there’s still a lot of crying to do”.

There’s plenty of wonderful finger-pickin’ throughout this gem and stellar contributions from Maria Cherwick, who adds flavour and spice with her fiddle playing. Robbie Brett, Adam Hogan, Steve Maloney and a host of guests all make suitably empathetic contributions but close vocal harmony and succinct, well-honed verses are indeed the bold print message on Rube & Rake’s calling card. This is Folk-Rock done right.

(produced by Adam Hogan and engineered by Romesh Thavanathan)