Jon-Rae And The River

Knows What You Need

Baudelaire

Noah Love (CHARTattack)

10/10/2006 12:23pm

Jon-Rae Fletcher has spent the last three years fashioning himself into a Toronto institution, while also touring the country and accumulating fans from coast to coast. Paramount in this equation has been his see-it-to-believe-it live shows, the energy of which he and The River attempt to recreate on the band's Baudelaire debut, Knows What You Need. Thanks to stellar atmospherics in their production, they ace it in most places, notably on the hilariously vulgar "Fuck Me" and the near punk "Ghostsong." But the lynchpin is live staple "Just One More." Just before the four-minute mark, the song breaks down and the choir softly sings the title refrain while Fletcher lets loose over top. It's the moment where this version of The River (the original was from BC) truly transcend their humble beginnings and prove themselves as bona fide stars.