Just Before Sunrise

Jeffery Straker

Direct, honest and sure-handed, there’s a Disney-like magic to Jeffery Straker’s folk-based piano styling and powerful storytelling. Underpinned by influences as diverse as Joni Mitchell and Beethoven, comparisons to Billy Joel and Victor Wainwright ring true. Inspired by the unexpected death of his mother, his latest album Just Before Sunrise reflects on life’s victories and losses. “Light a Fire” is a toetapping argument for the power of positive change while the countrified “Play That Song

Again” reminiscences on happier times. “Ready to Be Brave” sends a supportive message to the LGBTQ2+ community that “Honesty is where freedom is found.” “Morning Light” speaks to our ongoing search for relevance, while “One Foot on Main Street” is Straker’s statement that his small-town Saskatchewan upbringing will always define him. Buoyant and optimistic, Straker's worldview is a brand of contagion well worth catching.