For “Turn Off Your Name”

Turn Off Your Name (review)
Globe and Mail
“The drunks in front can yell that I’m the greatest/ I’ll just
stay at home, if that’s what fame is.” Cheer Jon Epworth if you will – his album of
thoughtful alt-rock, progressive pop and piano-driven rock-and-soul is absolutely vital –
but the Halifax/Toronto music man isn’t in it for back-slaps and marquees. This poetic
small-cogger, who at times who recalls the drama of Rufus Wainwright or the 10-fingered
sensibilities of Elton John, is under no grand illusion – on the softly affecting Passing
Chords he asks only to be considered. He’s against self-pity (on the brashly motivational
The Driven ) and fat egos and “dance hall irrelevance.” I could tell him that Long Way
Down would have been a radio hit in the seventies, but he probably wouldn’t care much.
Who is this guy, anyway?

Turn Off Your Name (review)
Halifax Chronicle Herald
WHEN HE LEFT FOR Toronto two years ago, singer-songwriter Jon Epworth was known for his stint in the Halifax punk trio the Dean Malenkos as well as some impressive solo work backed up by his band the Improvements injected with the nervy new wave energy of musicians like Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson.

But he returns home this weekend for the launch of his new CD Turn Off Your Name at the Paragon Theatre on Friday night a changed man, with a markedly different sound inspired by soul, folk and progressive rock and deeply introspective and poetic themes. “Gotta grow up, cool down, get with it/Dig deeper, stand harder and mean it!” Epworth wails on The Driven, channelling the spirit of Stevie Wonder, and it sounds like he does mean it, as he taps a well of rage, guilt and ultimately understanding on a record that scales lofty peaks of self-realization as well as plumbing the depths of self-doubt. Epworth’s songs have been dramatic in the past, his last CD Wet Wet Wet is full of impassioned performances, but Turn Off Your Name takes the drama to an unheard of level, finally exploding in the horn-laced manifesto of Post-It Note.

Turn Off Your Name (review)
herohill.com
Jon Epworth knows the size of the room he’s destined to play and the life he wants to lead. That might seem obvious considering the years that he’s spent playing shows and touring, but the delusions of grandeur that plague musicians is often what alienates their fans. Writing soaring anthems and vicious political commentary for the masses when you are playing empty rooms creates a distance that sound and melody can never cover.

When Passing Chords creeps out of the gate and Jon admits, “I’m a small cog on a smaller set of gears and perhaps we’ll reach a few handfuls of ears / but won’t you listen to my pretty passing chords / I’m a no-one in an empty room yeah I should give up and go to bed real soon / but won’t you listen to my pretty passing chords”, he puts himself along side us and starts a discussion.

Which is good, because he’s got a lot to say that we really need to hear.

I’ll admit, hearing a musician tell us the world is fucked up is nothing new, but hearing one so grounded and eloquent is. Epworth isn’t preaching at us about things we can’t control, he simply wants us all to look inside, figure out how things got so bad and how we can make it better. He doesn’t offer up false promises or hope, because really, he’s doesn’t have any of the answers we need. He’s looking, just like us.

i can’t promise anything to anyone at anytime but i want you all to love me/ I can’t think of everything for everyone all of the time but I want you all to trust me.
Nervous, sympathetic, angry, scared, insecure… Turn Off Your Name shows that Epworth is all of these things, and more.

That freedom lets Jon move between styles and try whatever idea comes into his brain. He’s able to drift from a Wainright inspired number (Golden Age) into frantic, spastic blasts of guitar and emotion (The Beaten Down and Cities) without losing the listener. He can bust out a touching, soulful number (Long Way Down) or a cruncher like A Cormorant, and lace both with insight and observation. Even when he’s at his most catchy (The Driven), he’s not singing about bar room conquests or crafting another road trip anthem. The song is asking a friend to keep fighting, keep pushing and never give up. And today, with everything else going on, someone asking us to push on and keep fighting is exactly what we need.

Turn Off Your Name (Leutonia Records)
The Coast
The music industry’s dying, but the music is doing just fine. In the battle between gimmick and pure talent, it’s the latter that Jon Epworth fights with. Despite mastering almost every talent musically and technologically, it’s Epworth’s voice and thoughts that are exposed in the spotlight. The soul-rocker’s lyrics read as poetry out of context and his voice ranges from a Bon Scott wail to a serene Thom Yorke mumble. On “Passing Chords” he sings: “I’m a small cog on a smaller set of gears and perhaps we’ll reach a few handfuls of ears.” Turn Off Your Name deserves more than a few handfuls.

For “wet on wet”:

“Bounding out of the East, Jon Epworth cuts a mean path with this assured disc that has many outstanding moments of rock. It is fun, expertly done and inspires hapless joy in its handclaps and choruses, like on “The Body”, and even blows the speakers as on the spectacular closer, “Gone”. All of the above seems somewhat needless when this album could be encapsulated in two, albeit cliche, words: it rocks.”
Chris Whibbs, Exclaim!, Aug. 03, 2006

“…a stellar sophomore solo effort.. musically and production-wise it’s extremely attractive for the listener, but Epworth likes to make his audience work for it. His lyrics can be harshly descriptive and he doesn’t hesitate to throw in unconventional elements, ones that ultimately make the song much more satisfying… Epworth sounds fully in command on the album. There are some heavy Elvis Costello influences, strong songwriting, and fantastic production.”
Stephanie Johns, The Coast, Apr. 20, 2006 (feature article)

“Epworth can drive hooks that stay with you for days…The attitude that comes through in Epworth’s voice through the latter track shows a singer who’s in charge of his vocal strength, but more importantly, comfortable in delivering his message…And have you seen [Jon Epworth & the Improvements] perform live? If you have and this isn’t on your shelf at home, don’t bother talking to me next time we’re out. You should know better.”
Ray Gracewood, www.coalfish.ca, June 22, 2006

“HRM’s unsung pawn-shop guitar hero is back with a fistful of raw, raunchy rock’n'roll riffs that will satisfy both new listeners and old fans alike. Great production by Laurence Currie captures the fury and power of “fifteen minutes of fame, twenty-nine years of anguish”. The Improvements get it done right, helping Epworth make the jump from angst to anger and establishing him as one to watch in the coming months.”
Stephen Clare, HFX – Halifax Daily News, Apr. 27, 2006 (four stars out of five)

For “MM/DD/YY”:

“This is a fucking great album. On his debut solo CD, Jon Epworth turns in an album showing huge ability both as a pop songsmith and a talented performer. This is one of the few albums that has managed to both capitalize on the Halifax sound while still sounding vibrant and new”
Matt Charlton, Exclaim!, Sept. 04, 2003

Awards and Nominations

2007 ECMA nomination; “alternative album of the year” for “Wet on Wet”

2006 Music Nova Scotia nominations; “best alternative album”, “group recording of the year”, “album of the year” for “Wet on Wet”

2005 The Coast Best of Halifax Awards; runner-up “best local male musician”

2004 Music Nova Scotia nominations; “best alternative album”, “male artist of the year” for “MM/DD/YY”

2003 The Coast Best of Halifax Awards; winner, “best guitarist”