By Joe Ross
In “Payback Road,” the opening cut on Running Through the Innocent Years, Ontario-based folk duo John and Sheila Ludgate tell us that “everybody’s got to do their time, it separates the survivors from the cheap talk kind, and the scars they show through.” John plays guitar and harmonica; Sheila is a bass guitarist. And if anyone’s done their time, it’s this couple that has released several albums since 1992, at the same time they’ve raised four boys.
A true family endeavor, Running through the Innocent Years includes sons Anthony (guitar), Luke (guitar), and Shane (percussion, strings, horns, piano). The title cut deals with time’s passage and the curve balls that one gets thrown, but asserting that it’s love that will see you through. “The price is high and you’ll pay and pay, but the trip is worth the fare. It’s all I want, it’s all that I need, but time it wants to change everything.” Every baby boomer dealing with an empty nest should be able to immediately relate to that message.
This album must have been a fun venture for the Ludgate family to undertake. John’s fingerpicked acoustic guitar and warm conversational baritone voice are always front-and-center, while Sheila’s backup harmony is discreet and unassuming. Produced and recorded by Anthony, the five musicians strive for sensibly cultivated arrangements of the original repertoire of mostly wistful, nostalgic balladry. Whether the song presents a sentimental, a regretful, or a grateful message, John and Sheila Ludgate cover various soft expressions in their folk music.
While a few cuts have instrumental, melodic and lyrical similarity that slightly disappoint, let’s remember that this is a thematic album that all voyagers in life should be able to find some meaningful relationship to.
I appreciate the family band’s invitation into their relaxed, friendly, intimate space. “Colours” sounds like it could have been worked up in the ’60s by Gordon Lightfoot or Simon and Garfunkel. A sentimental message: “The clock marks the minutes on the wall. The present colours what the past recalls. The future stands alone, waiting to be known, while time plays a song for us all.”
That’s the strength of this project, and some songs succeed better than others. “Masquerade” establishes a pleasant groove (with electric guitar and drums) that shows the influence of Johnny Cash. Along with the closer, “Wasted Time,” perhaps a few more cuts with this kind of lively electric energy could have shaken things up a bit more. The Ludgates’ earthy music is definitely worth a listen, and their advice also provides perspective and insight – “Get it all in, before time takes it all away.”