BIO // JASON COLLET // RAT A TAT TAT Album: Rat A Tat Tat Catalogue #: A&C052 Format: DD / CD / 1xLP Canada Release Date: March 9, 2010 International Release Date: March 9, 2010 They say that life begins at 40, but in the case of Jason Collett, that’s not just some overly optimistic bumper- sticker slogan. To many indie-rock fans, Jason Collett is the wise, big-brother character in Broken Social Scene: the calm, cool, collected totem of stability in a band defined by drama and chaos — “our Tom Petty figure,” as BSS figurehead Kevin Drew once (half-jokingly) dubbed him. But this reading of Collett belies the restless, curious spirit that he’s exhibited throughout his solo career outside of Broken Social Scene. For someone who’s been a fixture on the Toronto live-music circuit for two decades, you could totally understand if an artist of Collett’s experience and vintage settled into a country-rock comfort zone, and kept strumming the same ol’ songs until his ears gave out. But at the core of Collett’s big brotherly wisdom is the idea that, the older you get, the more you realize there’s still so much to learn. To wit, Rat a Tat Tat: the fourth album to bear Jason Collett’s name, but the first to make you double-check who you’re actually listening to: as the opening elegy “Rave On Sad Songs” blossoms from a solitary serenade into an Irish-pub last-call waltz, we hear a voice that’s several degrees more conversational and starkly unaffected than the one heard on previous Collett signatures like “Tiny Ocean of Tears,” “Almost Summer” or “Out of Time.” But it’s a gesture that perfectly suits a song wherein Collett seemingly bids farewell to the maudlin confessionals that can define — and restrict — many a singer-songwriter. And it serves as a telling set-up to an album on which Jason Collett spends most of his time gleefully messing around with the idea of what it is to be Jason Collett. Integral to that transformative process is Collett’s deepening relationship with his current backing band, Zeus (whose Mike O’Brien and Carlin Nicholson oversaw the lion’s share of production duties at their east-end Toronto studio). Though Collett is a seasoned solo artist who can captivate a soft-seater theatre with just an acoustic guitar and his stories, he knows that the key to his own artistic evolution lies in collaboration with others — whether he’s hosting his on- again/off-again songwriters workshop Radio Monday or inviting various BSS mates into the studio to help flesh out his songs or holding court with a mob of friends at Toronto’s Dakota Tavern for his annual freewheelin’ Basement Revue residency each December. But the union with Zeus feels like something very different than a singer just hiring a supporting cast to make his songs sound better; it’s more of a Dylan-and-The-Band symbiosis, a perfectly complementary and democratic partnership that brings the best out of both sides. Zeus’ own recordings — like Collett’s — are rooted in classic FM-radio gold sounds, but rather than slavishly imitate their record collections, Collett and Zeus collectively understand ARTS & CRAFTS BIOGRAPHY • JASON COLLET • RAT A TAT TAT• JANUARY 2010 BIOBIO // JASON// JASON COLLET COLLET // RAT// RAT A TAT A TAT TAT TAT that what makes our favourite albums so special and timeless are the quirks and of accidental inspiration, those strange, noisy intrusions coming from deep in the left channel. imperfections, the sense of accidental inspiration, those strange, noisy intrusions coming And, of course, you gotta have groove. In that spirit, Rat a Tat Tat is Jason Collett’s most from deep in the left channel. And, of course, you gotta have groove. In that spirit, Rat a Tat Tat is Jason Collett’s most playful, robust and revelatory album to date — once you get playful, robust and revelatory album to date — once you get locked into the pocket of the sly T. locked into the pocket of the sly T. Rex strut of “Lake Superior,” the stuttering funk of “Love Is Rex strut of “Lake Superior,” the stuttering funk of “Love Is a Dirty Word” or new-waved soul of a Dirty Word” or new-waved soul of “Love Is a Chain,” you realize how many interstate miles “Love Is a Chain,” you realize how many interstate miles removed we are from the Motor Motel removed we are from the Motor Motel Love Songs that first introduced Collett to the world at Love Songs that first introduced Collett to the world at large back in 2003. large back in 2003. But what’s most remarkable about Rat a Tat Tat is how willing Collett is to bend and reshape his familiarBut what’svoice tomost suit remarkable the song about— whether Rat a Tatlaying Tat onis howa thick willing Dylan Collett twang is to bendon the and sublimely reshape gorgeoushis familiar “Cold voiceBlue Halo”to suit (dig the thosesong —heavenly whether harmonies laying on ain thick the home Dylan stretch), twang on going the sublimelydown low to revelgorgeous in the “ColdLou Reed Blue Halo”grittiness (dig ofthose “Bitch heavenly City” or harmonies hamming init theup onhome the stretcheekych), Kinksgoing- gonedown- countrylow totravelogue revel in the “Vanderpool Lou Reed grittinessVanderpool.” of “Bitch Taken City” as or a hamming whole, you it up get on thethe cheekyoverwhelming Kinks- sensegone of -an country artist traveloguewho, despite “Vanderpool having spent Vanderpool.” 20-odd years Taken in asthe a rockwhole, ‘n’ youroll gettrenches, the is still discoveringoverwhelming new things sense about of an himself artist who, and despitehis music, having and spent who is20 willing-odd ye toars open in the himself rock ‘n’up roll and get schooledtrenches, byis stillcollaborators discovering several new things years abouthis junior. himself At theand close his music, of “Vanderpool and who is Vanderpool,” willing to Collettopen sings, himself “Jesus up andhas getleft schooledChicago” by— collaboratorspresumably not several just foryears the hissake junior. of quoting At the closean old of ZZ Top “Vanderpoolsong, nor for Vanderpool,” the sake Collettof tipping sings, the “Jesus hat to has a leftfellow Chicago” former — carpenter, presumably but not rather just for to the sake of quoting an old ZZ Top song, nor for the sake of tipping the hat to a fellow former underscore Rat a Tat Tat’s most valuable lesson: whether you’re god almighty or just a guy with carpenter, but rather to underscore Rat a Tat Tat’s most valuable lesson: whether you’re god a guitar, you’ve gotta keep moving, because there’s more work to be done. almighty or just a guy with a guitar, you’ve gotta keep moving, because there’s more work to be done. For additional information on Jason Collett please contact: For additional information on Jason Collett please contact: Canvas Media / Arts & Crafts BrendanArts Bourke & Crafts 460 RichmondBrendan BourkeStreet West, #402 • Toronto, Ontario • M5V 1Y1 460 Richmond Street West, #402 • Toronto, Ontario • M5V 1Y1 Tel. 416Tel. 203 416 2217 203 •2217 Fax. •416 Fax. 203 416 2208 203 •2208 arts- crafts.ca• arts-crafts.ca / canvasmedia.ca Artist websites:Artist webs ites: www.artswww.arts-crafts.ca/jasoncollett-crafts.ca/jasoncollett www.myspace.com/jasoncollettwww.myspace.com/jasoncollett ARTS & CRAFTS BIOGRAPHY • JASON COLLET • RAT A TAT TAT• JANUARY 2010 CANVAS MEDIA / ARTS & CRAFTS BIOGRAPHY • JASON COLLET • RAT A TAT TAT• JANUARY 2010 .