Clay Pigeon – The Aching Taste of Blue Album Review

Montreal music has recently been granted the fresh release of Clay Pigeon’s latest LP, The Aching Taste of Blue

James Clayton, known as Clay Pigeon, is a singer-songwriter bringing us a refreshingly meaningful glimpse into his perspective through his first full release under the new moniker. A life-long musician, Clayton has played in various friend’s bands, something which led his journey along to the creation of this album as a solo artist. Throughout the course of 2020, the artist’s relationship to music was changed through a waterfall of life events and an online song-writing course led by an artist he admired. This is where he wrote the first track for the album, “Here and Now,” planting the seed for what would grow to be The Aching Taste of Blue.

The album carries a blue tinged bluntness about the fact of being sad, something we all too often skirt around. There is a sense of gentle angst woven through the lyrics and melodies, accompanied by honesty, vulnerability and comfort. Clayton lays out the feeling of sadness on the table through lyrics like “dive into the junction of our memories” [“The Stoned Song”], and “I’m just tired from sleeping” [“Bright Blue”] - all backed by stable, comforting melodies. The tone of the album ebbs and flows, with some gentle tunes, and some more 'call it as it is' heavy hitters like “Feel Okay,” but they all follow a similar overarching theme. As stated by Clayton in the album’s Bandcamp description,    

“These songs are blue and feel sad, because I’m sad, and I imagine you’re sad too, in your own way.”

And with that, I think this album is perfect to listen to wrapped in a big blanket during one of Montreal’s classic rainstorms - cozy up, ponder, have a cup of coffee and have a listen. A perfect soundtrack for feeling, well - a little blue, so fitting as we head into fall semester. Looking forward to listening more and seeing what might be on the horizon for Clay Pigeon.