Hobby - Clear Blue River
Telephone Explosion Records
Released on November 7th, 2025
I have a clear memory of the first time I heard Neil Young’s Harvest. I was about ten years old, riding in the back seat of my best friend’s car. We were on our way to a favourite swimming hole when his mom popped a tape in the car’s cassette player. The “boom-boom-bap,” drum and bass that starts “Out on the Weekend,” hit my young mind like I was hearing music for the first time. As an adult nearing middle age, whenever I hear that song, I am transported back to that dirt road drive. Although I’ve only recently discovered the Toronto band Hobby, their newest album somehow has that same power. The opening number instantly brings me back to that summer day. Like a beam of sunlight, a shimmering guitar chord hits the listener, and a faint harmonica and fiddle pleasantly sing along like songbirds in the brush, until soaring harmonies rush to the fore as the band dives into the title track.
Part of the reason this album can trigger such instant nostalgia is that it draws on the best country, folk and rock music of the last sixty years. When I listen to this record, I’m listening to the steady guitar work of The Flying Burrito Brothers, the shaky timbre of Michael Hurley, the live electricity of The Sadies and the organic chemistry of Bob Dylan and The Band’s Basement Tapes. Hobby wear their influences proudly. A few songs in, the chorus of “Famous” states that ‘they don’t make em’ like you no more.” As the narrator in that song drinks his days away, there’s a note of cynicism towards those who want to be famous these days, but there might also be a longing for the past - for a time, not too long ago, when a band like Hobby would have been scooped up by The Festival Express and toured alongside their like-minded heroes and inspirations.
That said, Hobby is not just a facsimile of bands that have come before them. They are unmistakably doing their own thing. This is evidenced in the aforementioned “Famous” that starts as a “tear in your beer” country standard but by the chorus veers firmly into alt-country and nearly into psychedelia with the help of a sneaky and subversive chord arrangement. Barn burners like “Seesaw,” “River Grand,” and “Jessica” feature full band instrumentation that will have your toes tapping and would fit right in at a Saturday night dance at your local Legion. “Scotty” and “Major Highway” even have flourishes of good old-fashioned rock and roll amidst the country influence. The rhythm section is always in the pocket, keeping the music rolling along while leaving plenty of space for the impressive lead work of the guitars and fiddle.
The band can also strip it down to an introspective strum on tunes like “Vidalia Onions” and “Coffee.” The latter is an album highlight, its yearning sentiment delivered like it was performed on a hungover Sunday morning as a fragile voice sings, “I used to dream of New York, now I dream of home.” The songwriting of Stephen Pitman is mature, letting the listener know that he wasn’t born yesterday. Themes range from heartbreak to aging to the passage of time. “Older” stopped me in my tracks and made me want to pick up the phone to call home as the singer laments, “often I think about my mother and all that she has done for me.” The song demands reflection. A reluctant look back while acknowledging that the youngins coming up might be onto something. No matter the style, the band holds onto their elegant three-part harmonies and effortless musicianship. These songs feel like they could have been recorded at a live show. They sound tight, road-tested and refined.
Hobby’s third album is a refreshing collection of tunes that pay homage to and expand upon the long line of Canadiana music that has come before it. Dive into it and let it wash over you. When I listen to this record, I’m transported. All of a sudden, I’m right there with the band, and they’re right there with me on a summer day in the back of my best friend’s car as we head towards the Clear Blue River.