Our Pick: Don Amero - Heart On My Sleeve

Artist—Don Amero
Song—Turn These Gray Skies Blue
Album—Heart On My Sleeve
Year—2012

Don Amero has developed quite the reputation as a premium quality Aboriginal performing artist and at this year’s 2012 Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Awards, he accepted his award for Entertainer of the Year by pointing out no one else had as many nominations and not won an APCMA award up to this point. This cd is what I feel is his “coming out” music offering that dispels any doubts whether he deserves the accolades and attention he has received by critics and fans alike. The first song and our pick, “Turn These Grey Skies Blue” is already in heavy rotation on Aboriginal radio networks across Canada and is a lovely melody that is memorable and heartfelt. Heartfelt may be a theme to describe the emotional investment by Amero and his supporting artists that are recorded on this cd. This is very much a sit down and take a focused listen kind of album, meaning the depth of the songs may not be first apparent in a casual listen. Just like the sounds of legendary artists Simon & Garfunkel, Amero gives us songs that soothe the soul, tug at our heart strings and move the spirit musically. The backing vocals on many of the songs are a perfect complement to Amero’s own vocal, never overshadowing or competing. It is safe to say this acoustic artist understands that keeping the instrumentation simple is the best way to feature his songs and vocals yet the instrumentation has many layers on songs like Sound of Us Going Down without ever being muddy.  This is a mature release that mainstream vocal song-masters like Celine Dion or Mariah Carey would surely be adding to their own set lists if they heard them.  Songs of love and living fill the theme of many of the tracks and given a chance, you too will find your heart on your own sleeve as much as Amero clearly wore his in writing and recording this album.