The textured songs on Gemini detail the struggles and challenges of dealing with the entertainment biz along with some hopeful, exuberant tunes about falling in love.
A Toronto native with various TV, film and stage credits ("Degrassi: The Next Generation," "Kevin From Work," "Pippi Longstocking," "Score: A Hockey Musical"), Reid is probably best known for his Canadian Screen Award-winning role as Patrick Brewer on the Netflix and Pop TV hit sitcom Schitt's Creek - the recipient of a record-breaking nine Emmy awards this past Sunday.
In 2017, Reid's soulful acoustic guitar cover of Tina Turner’s "The Best," featured in a pivotal romantic scene between his and Dan Levy's characters on the series' fourth season, was a surprise hit. It went to #3 on the iTunes Canada chart. That led more people to discover 'Broken Chair.'
Earlier this month, I watched the first five seasons of "Schitt's Creek" and was immediately drawn to Reid's singing on the show.
Among the impressive new album's standouts are the driving, piano-led opener "Honesty" and "American Roads," reminiscent of David Grey and 1970s-era Jackson Browne, in addition to a sonic sweep that evokes Counting Crows. Then there's the dreamy "Heroes/Ghosts" and laid-back "Underwater," with a comfy lounge-styled vibe bolstered by subtle sax work and string arrangement. Recent single "Hold On" evokes early Billy Joel and was inspired by a period when Reid missed his soon-to-be wife while working in L.A. as she was back home in Toronto.
Many of the songs would easily fit on AAA radio in America. So far, they have been featured on several prominent iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify and Apple Music playlists and charts.
Track listing:
1. Honesty
2. Underwater
3. Hold On
4. Hate This Town
5. Got You
6. American Roads
7. Jacob’s Dream
8. Neverending December
9. Heroes/Ghosts
10. I Guess I’ll Just Lie Here
11. I Had A Dream Last Night
12. I Miss Writing Songs
Photo by Norm Wong, courtesy Baseline Music
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