Immersive and expansive, captivating and mysterious. There are myriad ways to describe Debra-Jean Creelman’s latest nine-song collection, a musical odyssey of soul and jazz that transcends both time and space, but perhaps it is best summarized by its namesake: Ego Death.
Penned and recorded amidst the final days of the COVID-19 lockdown period, this album emerged from a place of true collaborative spirit. After coming up with the concept of horns to provide the main harmonic foundation in lieu of typical band instrumentation, Creelman sent a few song ideas to renowned experimental trumpeter JP Carter (Destroyer, Dan Mangan). Together with producers Jo Hirabayashi (Jo Passed) and Sean Cronin (Very Good), they created the foundational demos.
The lineup of musicians contributing to Ego Death resembles a supergroup. While Hirabayashi produced and mixed the majority of the record, Sean Cronin and JP Carter are also featured behind the board. The horn section was made up of Carter (trumpet), Chris Kelly (tenor sax), John Paton (tenor sax), and Jeremy Berkman (trombone), recording arrangements by all three producers at Vancouver’s Afterlife Studio. The backbone of technicolour groove is courtesy of John Raham on drums (Frazey Ford, Be Good Tanyas, owner of Afterlife Studios) and James Meger on bass (Sumner Brothers). Vocals were later co-produced by Creelman alongside luminary musician and producer Dave Genn (5440, Matthew Good Band), capturing the precision and polish for which her emotive voice is known.
The result is cloud bursts of brass and horns over pulsing heartbeat-like percussion (“Say Goodnight”), R&B-infused vocal arrangements (“Heavy Blow”), and transcendent ambient instrumentation (“The Guilt You Gave Abandoned”).
Marrying vulnerability with collaboration is nothing new to Creelman, who first gained recognition as an original member of pop auteurs Mother Mother. While she is now known for her solo work, the chemistry with her former bandmates is undeniable. Both Molly Guldemond and Jasmin Parkin are featured on the new record (on “Too Good” and “Heavy Blow,” respectively). “I think it’s cool for them to take the lead on the songs that I wrote with them in mind,” says Creelman. “But mostly, I was still getting my vocal range confidence back and had them sing the stuff that was hard for me!” she laughs. Ryan Guldemond also had a hand in “Too Good,” co-writing the track.
While Creelman and co. have a watchmaker’s attention to detail, the music never comes across as too technical. It flows, grooves and sways, flirting with soul, jazz and blues at every turn. Creelman’s songwriting evokes a sense of depth, a fitting reflection of its thematic core: the profound loss of her mother following a protracted battle with severe mental illness, and the delicate terrain of mental health crises. In her own words, the album serves as a vehicle for “examining the idea that we can look at our trauma and adversities as things we choose to learn from in this life.”
Ego Death is a testament to Debra-Jean Creelman’s artistry and resilience. As she continues to captivate audiences with her soul-stirring music, she will surely inspire listeners to embrace their own narratives around growth and change.
Ego Death will be out July 12th, 2024.
