“I want you to move like you’re a salmon swimming upstream!” – Jason Webley

Album: The Cost of Living
Artist: The Jason Webley Quartet
Year: 2007
Genre: Folk/Indie
Label: 11

Those Familiar with Mr. Webley’s work know him to be a talented musician in his own right. Each of his four albums are strong ones and “The Cost” is no exception. But there are some differences: Previous albums featured numerous artists performing on any given track, where as “The Cost” boils down to a core cast of Mr. Webley (Guitar, Accordion,) Alex Guy (Viola,) Jherek Bischoff (Bass) and Quilken (Drums.) This core band gives the album a feeling of cohesion hinted at, but not fully realized,, on previous albums. This is not to say those albums are weak, far from it, but that’s another review. Often there is a sort of theme to Webley’s work, usually the number 11 or opposites & parallels. This time neither theme is present (though the album does have eleven tracks.) In their stead are…Salmon…No, I’m serious. The quasi theme of the album is salmon, spawning salmon to be exact… OK, that’s only half true. The salmon swimming upstream are meant to represent the struggle of life, hence the album title. The theme is not wholly original (except for the salmon,); what could be more classic then the struggle of life? This is one of Webley’s best works and perhaps my favorite. Standout tracks include; “Ways to Love,” an upbeat tune (in pace if not lyrics) that brings the whole salmon/life metaphor to light. “Clear” is an apprehensive song about missing angels, both figurative and literal. “Disappear” is a haunting song in which Webley’s most epic vocal range is demonstrated. And finally “There's Not a Step We Can Take That Does Not Bring Us Closer,” the longest track title ever and the best song on the album. When I saw Webley’s Quartet perform, it was the last song they played. Lacking the orchestra of violas and trombones on the track itself, the crowd filled in with their voices (I was a trombone.) This album does not have a weakness I can find. I love it. Hearing all the songs performed live first made it even better. It was (and still is) the best show I’ve attended. I cannot praise this album and its artist enough.