" Ian North released his third album, “Everything is Incomplete,” on August 4, 2024. As soon as I dropped the metaphorical needle on the first track, I was hooked. Written, recorded and produced, unbeknownst to me, after Ian suffered a serious life-threatening illness, each song bears the gravitas and insight of a man who fully recognizes both personally and artistically how very precious life is. 

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But there is no overt attempt to convince a listener of that or anything more, other than these shimmering examples of perception, subtle observation and penetrating character portraits. Something in the keen lyrical word play, or Ian’s elegiac vocals, or the rich imaginative production by the multi-instrumentalist Chris Gartner, all the parts culminate in a surprisingly thoughtful, moving and beautiful listening experience. 

 

Douglas Mclean