Review Summary: "Take a memory and leave it behind"
It’s difficult to lose a band member – especially if that member is not only a lead vocalist, but one of the driving forces for the majority of the band’s existence. For many, Steven Page’s departure from the Barenaked Ladies following a highly publicized cocaine bust was a crippling blow to the band, and raised questions over the band’s future. Their answer to these questions? Soldier on, and produce a tonal oddity amidst their discography.
For a band fundamentally recognised for quirkiness and fun, All in Good Time contains a consistent level of bittersweet emotions – and a fair amount of anger. Constant collaborator and producer Michael Phillip Wojewoda has always maintained a standard of crisp and balanced instrumentation as far back as 1992’s Gordon, and here his work is no different. When the band is at its best – including the ethereal lead single “You Run Away” and its ambiguous confrontation of a particular ex-band member – the Ladies produce a more mature version of the same kind of wordy, catchy pop songs that earned them success. The last four songs of the album in particular, from the peppy “Golden Boy” to the soulful ballad “The Love We’re In,” stand as very underrated cuts in the band’s discography compared to other deep cuts.
However, the fact remains that while guitarist Ed Robertson dominates the songwriting process, he is responsible for many of the duds on the album. Robertson succeeds when he masks his anger with the softer melodies and harmonies of the band. In comparison, the dissonant grunge-like riff and cries to “Give it up to anger” on “How Long” breaks the wistful tone of the tracks preceding it. Even the band’s typically favoured use of rapped verses falls short on the bizarre “Four Seconds,” and the forced rhyming and pop culture references drag down what is predominantly a very personal album.
Of course, the more unique aspect of the album includes greater contributions of bassist Jim Creeggan and keyboardist/guitarist Kevin Hearn. While all vocalists inhabit the same range and hold the same warm tones, Hearn has a softer voice and extra sense of vulnerability that propels the heart and ache of “Jerome” and Semisonic-esque “Another Heartache.” Creeggan has more of an effect on musicality, providing a sharp tinge of jazz to “On the Lookout”'s love letter, and commanding orchestral elements on album highlight “I Saw It.” Whether their contributions stand as merely good tracks or reach new highs for the Ladies, Robertson’s iron grip on the track-list squanders the potential for Hearn or Creeggan’s very own “It’s All Been Done” or “Pinch Me,” and it’s disappointing that this trend has continued during their tenure as a four-piece.
All in Good Time is far from a bad album. It just happens to be a product of a particular place and time, an uncertain transition into the future and a fearful response to the events of the near past. The departure of Page’s particular brand of wit and subtly dark songwriting is dearly missed, but the multi-instrumentalists can hold their own. As the final notes of closer “Watching the Northern Lights” fade out, there is a sense that maybe the reassurance of the album title will ring true someday.
