Album Notes

With 36 novels and 35 books of short fiction under his belt, Charles de Lint is one of the most acclaimed fantasy authors in the world. Among his many accolades, he has won the World Fantasy Award and Canada’s Aurora Award.

Now de Lint has added an impressive music CD, “OLD BLUE TRUCK,” to his oeuvre. Just as his fiction is often described as “fantasy for those who don’t read fantasy,” so are de Lint’s songs captivating, with appeal for music lovers across genres.

Recorded at Brock Zeman’s Mud Music Studio, the album demonstrates that de Lint has a way with lyrics and a sound all his own. From alt-country to psychobilly to heartbreaking ballads, every song evokes a distinct reaction: a sense of the familiar, a touch of nostalgia, compassion, or mystery. And always, a greater appreciation for life.

Among the ten outstanding tracks are songs like Highway 105, which takes us on a lively road trip into the historic Gatineau Hills, with a nod to all the villages from Ottawa up to Grand Remous. There’s even a stopover at Wakefield’s renowned Black Sheep Inn, where you can “have a beer, maybe check out the band.”

Cherokee Girl, written in Tucson as an ode to his first book editor and close friend, Terri Windling, embraces de Lint’s interest in Native American mythology.

Title track Old Blue Truck speaks to the affections that we all hold for our very first vehicles and the dreams of our youth.

Psychobilly track The Lost Highway tells a ghost story inspired by a hair-raising drive in a thunderstorm from Westport to MacDonald’s Corners, Ontario.

“OLD BLUE TRUCK” is a superb album and Charles de Lint can chalk up a whole new type of success to his list of accomplishments.