The West Kootenay’s Dirt Floor has released a new album. Contributor Matt Coté lays down these words about it.

One voice is solid and percussive, the other soft and melodic. You can feel the influence of one musical heritage that’s quiet and concealed, and another that’s loud and eclectic. The story of Dirt Floor’s newest album, Rosie Blue, is duality. British Columbia’s Sean Cameron, of the Slocan Valley, and Peter Reed, of Rossland, come together on this release not so much as a folk duo but as two distinct songwriters volleying between styles, collaborating to elevate each other’s tunes.

Some revered Canadian musicians play on this sophomore release, which follows the band’s eponymous 2014 EP, including Geoff Hilhorst of The Deep Dark Woods on the organ; Matt Kelly, who tours with City and Colour, on the indelible pedal steel; and Kootenay legend Steve Brockley on drums—among other local talents.

The result is a record that compels you to listen to all its parts, no matter how disparate they may seem. Like how the Kootenays can sound like Tennessee or a sentiment can be both rosy and blue, the songs range from languid to twangy, as the pedal steel infuses the backdrop of Nashville into melodies that are otherwise upbeat, fluid, and smooth. Some songs, like “Disappearing Train,” are literal ballads, while others, like “Rosie Blue,” are atmospheric emotional landscapes loaded with abstraction.

Cameron and Reed wrote and recorded the 12 songs at Sincerity Sound Studio in Appledale, B.C., and Barry Jones was the producer and engineer. The album was released in 2022 in two six-song parts and all are now available on Bandcamp.com. A full-length vinyl will follow in 2023.

For more about the band, visit dirtfloor.bandcamp.com.