Coming on slow and soft to start, Eamon McGrath’s new disc Young Canadians is all over the map musically. And this is a good thing. From soft, acoustic numbers to balls-out distorted rockers, McGrath displays versatility and depth in his songwriting. Tackling a country as vast as Canada, and trying to capture the spirit of youth that stretches from sea to sea to sea, McGrath’s vision on Young Canadians is bold. Sometimes this doesn’t work for me, in the case of Side B’s opener “Great Lakes,” but overall the effect is a well played. Tracks like “Instrument of My Release” and “Rabid Dog” are rocking, while tunes like “Johnny Brought the Bottles Back” and “Saskatoon, SK” hit home in all the right places. While this likely won’t make my Top 10 list of 2012, I’m real glad I changed across Young Canadians. Definitely worth repeat listening. (White Whale Records, whitewhale.ca) Sheldon Birnie