What a drag, only one date on Francey's cross-country tour to support his tremendous new album happens in the province, and it's a Sunday night, in St. Andrew's at the Arena Theatre, too far away on a school night. Plus, it's the very last show of the three month tour, so that's that. Luckily, we do have Late Edition to spin.

What a crazy story too, if you don't know it. Francey didn't even perform until he was 45, twelve years ago, and even then couldn't play an instrument. Seems the carpenter had spent his years writing poetry and setting the words to melodies in his head. Friends convinced him to take it further, and wow. He's like those Texas songwriters, the Guy Clark's and Van Zandt's and such, who take life and set it to music, in such plain but perfect language. Oh, and it rhymes. And it's catchy. Each song is a bit of common sense philosophy, mixed with a tiny bit of sadness and a lot of love.

12 cuts, only 2 of them over three minutes, and he gets everything he wants into each one. These are acoustic roots numbers, tasteful and full of hooks, flavoured with fiddle, banjo and mandolin. Francey's already won three Junos, and such is his stature he has Americana all-star Kieran Kane producing him, alongside Nashville session hotshots. I'd say this gives hope to all of us late bloomers, but I can't believe that anybody else this talented is hiding out there.