We loved former Broken Social Scene member Jason Collett’s 2005 album Idols of Exile and 2008’s Here’s to Being Here.  Now the indie singer/songwriter is back with a monstrous and stylistically-varied 15-song collection entitled Reckon (along with an an 11-song career-spanning retrospective entitled Essential Cuts that contains two previously unreleased b-sides).  On the new album, Collett is backed by some of Canada’s best musicians, including Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning from Broken Social Scene and Afie Jurvanen of Bahamas.  The album center’s around Collett’s observations (while on tour in the U.S.) of our economic crisis, its causes and its impacts (though with a more subtle, less-jackhammer approach).

Collett showed up recently on CBC to perform a set of songs from the new album, backed by a big band including the likes of Drew, Canning and Jurvanen. We love the sounds generated by Collett and compatriots at CBC, and especially on new songs Where Things Go Wrong,  I’ll Bring the Sun, and older song Fire.  Check those and a few others below to get a great feel for this artist and his new album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJosqYD2DiE&feature=em-uploademail-new

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MgZVbWkiOw&feature=channel&list=UL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg75R7v42t8&feature=channel&list=UL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvh8pceXjbs&feature=channel&list=UL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d-hhTFw_N8&feature=channel&list=UL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyJ0hmcWkWw&feature=em-uploademail-new