The latest from Canadian song-crafter extraordinaire Justin Rutledge is a subdued beauty of a record, perfect for bright mornings sipping coffee and getting your day together. Perhaps that’s just my reading of it, as Valleyheart has been my soundtrack for doing just that since it landed in my inbox. The arrangements are sparse, featuring Justin’s voice, almost whispered at times, piano, guitar, and light percussion throughout. Album opener “Amen America” is a beautiful modern gospel, while “Downtown” is a tale of moving from a small town (or the ‘burbs) into the bustling heart of the city, set to a restrained country shuffle rhythm. “Kapuskasing Coffee” is one of the catchiest tunes I’ve heard all year, an upbeat elegy to early mornings two lovers once shared that gets in your head and stays there as you go about your day, shuffling from one point to the other through the cold. While Valleyheart never really lifts off and kicks out the jams, there is no point throughout where I found myself wanting it to. This is a great Canadian album, full of age old themes and timeless tunes. (Outside Music, justinrutledge.com) Sheldon Birnie