Hamiltonian Mike Trebilcock has been a staple of the local music scene for
years now. Most might recognize him as the front man of the now defunct, Juno
winning, (The) Killjoys.
His debut CD, Shield Millions, shows Trebilcock
embracing his folkier leanings, while maintaining his pop edge, and for the most
part, he succeeds. Tunes like the mellow, funky "Today's Crossword", the
country-tinged "Stacked Back To the Wishing Well", and the great reworking of
"Dog Hill" (I love Kim Deschamps' dobro work) are fine indications of
Trebilcock's talent and range.
Trebilcock recruits the help of the areas finest
musicians. Besides Deschamps (Blue Rodeo, The Cowboy Junkies), Carl & Tim
Jennings (Freedom Train), Mike Daley (Uncle Violet), Sean Ashby (Sara
McLaughlin), and Shelley Woods (Killjoys) are among those who support Trebilcock
on the album's ten tracks.
It is a very good debut, suffering only from the
production limitations which doom any independent release, but it is the
performance, not production, which will make Shield Millions a springboard to
bigger and better things for Trebilcock. It will be interesting to see what
comes next from him .
